Someone to Protect
by XtremeGal87
Summary: Long after Naraku's defeat, Sesshomaru and crew face a new threat and Sesshomaru faces a personal revelation that'll change his life forever! SessRin, minor InuKag MirokuSango
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Ok, this is the second story that I've posted, and I'm intending this to be a chapter-story, instead of a one-shot. That said, I hope it turns out well. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my last story (and those who didn't), I was very happy with how loved it was! I got very nice reviews, and so I wanted to say 'thank you'. There, now I've said it. Oh yeah, and I got this idea (loosely) from the third movie. If you haven't seen it yet, you should watch it. There will be at least one or two small spoilers in this story, FYI.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I wish I did, but, I don't.

**Someone to Portect**

Nine and a half years ago, the Feudal Era was nearly destroyed by an all-powerful demon sword called Sounga. This sword had been wielded by Inutaisho, the father of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. When the sword broke free of its sheath, it tried to kill the brothers, and destroy their father's swords, Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga. The brothers were victorious, and Sounga vanished into the pits of Hell.

Six months after that, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had to unite again to defeat the almost-demon Naraku. With help from Inuyasha's friends and the wolf demon called Koga, they destroyed Naraku. When Naraku fell, so did all his incarnations, and, unfortunately, Kohaku. There were no other casualties, though. Not from the fight itself, anyway. Shortly after the battle, while everyone was still healing, Kikyo gave up her journey. She gave Kagome her shards of the Shikon no Tama and left the land of the living for good.

It didn't take long after that for Inuyasha and the others to collect the rest of the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls. In truth, it took longer for everyone to recover from their wounds; as all they'd had left were five pieces, excluding the two in Koga's legs. When Koga had the only two left, he willingly gave them to Kagome, saying, "Now that Naraku's dead, I suppose I don't need 'em anymore, anyway. Make good use of 'em, Kagome. Don't let that damn mutt waste the Sacred Jewel."

When it was completed, she gave the jewel wordlessly to Inuyasha, fully expecting him to use it to make himself a full-fledged demon. To everyone's surprise, however, he didn't. He did make a wish, and the jewel disappeared, its purpose having been served, and he still hasn't told anyone what it was. He always just shrugs his shoulders and says, "The jewel's gone, that's what matters. We don't have to worry about any demons trying to steal it."

Once all the chaos was over, the group of friends decided to stay in the village just outside of the Forest of Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku built their own home and named their first son Kohaku, in honor of Sango's brother. Kohaku is nearing eight and a half, while their daughter, Rika, just turned four. Inuyasha finally confessed his feelings to Kagome shortly before they'd collected all the jewel shards, and they had also built their own home in the village. They named their daughter Chikara because it means 'power', and Kagome thought it appropriate. She, like her father, was born on the night of the New Moon. Her seventh birthday passed barely two weeks ago.

Sadly, not all the changes were good ones. The elderly priestess Kaede passed on six years ago; three years after Naraku's defeat. When she passed, Kagome became the village priestess, as her powers had already surpassed Kikyo's. Also, when the jewel had been completed, the Bone Eaters Well had sealed, trapping Kagome permanently in the Feudal Era. Over the years, though, she's become accustomed to this, and it no longer bothers her. Plus, she knows that now that she's mated to Inuyasha, she'll see her family again in 500 years. Unless, of course, she's killed.

So, nine years after Naraku's defeat, life is pretty good for those living in Musashi. Koga has even settled down, with Ayame, in the Northern Mountains, and he's already fathered triplets. Life has not settled down nearly so much, however, for Sesshomaru, the Lord of the Western Lands. He still travels the countryside with the imp, Jaken, and the now-19-year-old human woman, Rin. And, of course, the two-headed dragon, Ah-Un. And, every now and then, he still remembers the last words his father said to him; "Do you have someone...to protect?"

To Be Continued...

**A/N: **Ok, now, I know this chapter's short, and I'm _really _sorry, but, that seemed like the perfect 'prologue' ending to me, so, I made it short. I _promise_ that the next ones will be longer. Truthfully, if I do an epilogue, it's the only other one that'll possibly be short. Ok, enough of me, please don't give up on it yet, I'm begging here! Oh yeah, and I do accept reviews;)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Kagome does. Ok, technically it's Rumiko Takahashi; still, it's not me.

A/N: Ok everyone, here's chapter 1, err...2, depending on how you count. Oh, warning, I'm not a huge Jaken fan, so, don't expect much from him. Lol.

**Someone to Protect**

The day had been long, and completely uneventful, as were most days. Sesshomaru hadn't said a word all day, which wasn't exactly unusual. Jaken had spent most of the day mumbling under his breath and making odd, Jaken-like sounds. Rin was currently sitting on Ah-Un's back, as her feet had begun to ache from the gravel of the area they'd passed through earlier. Jaken was currently about half-way between Sesshomaru and the two-headed dragon. It was beginning to get dark, and no one was speaking, as they traveled through the strange, thick forest.

Sesshomaru stopped abruptly at the edge of an opening for a meadow that was smack-dab in the center of the forest. There was a creek running through it, off to his left, and it was completely surrounded by trees and bushes. The area looked magnificent in the light of the setting sun, though it was far from an ideal spot to rest. He scanned the area soundlessly, inhaling a couple of times to be certain that it was currently empty of threatening demons.

Behind him, Jaken had, as usuall, failed to notice that his lord had stopped, and therefore walked directly into the back of his leg. Again. "Oooff! Oh, I'm so sorry, m'lord!" He squeaked, back-stepping and bowing low. Rin giggled from her perch atop Ah-Un.

"You should pay more attention, Master Jaken. If you didn't get so wrapped up in your mumblings, you'd notice when Lord Sesshomaru stops."

"You be quiet, Girl. Shouldn't you be out looking for food or something? You're usually whining about how hungry you are by sunset." Jaken scolded.

"I don't whine about that anymore, Master Jaken. You're the only one who whines now, though, now that you mention it, I am a bit hungry." She glanced quickly towards the setting sun, and then turned her attention to Sesshomaru, and asked, "My lord, may I go in search of something to eat?"

Sesshomaru waited a moment before responding. "Take Jaken with you, and don't stray too far."

"Thank you, my lord! Come, Master Jaken!" Rin said, sliding gracefully off of the dragon and running into the surrounding forest area. Ah-Un snorted and promptly sat down, waiting patiently for his mistress to return to him.

Sesshomaru watched silently as the young human woman bounded into the forest, followed quickly by his vassal. His gaze momentarily landed on Ah-Un before it resumed scanning the area. When he found no sign of a possible threat, he moved over to a nearby tree, coincidentally in the direction Rin had run off in, and sat down. He watched the sun sink lower for a minute, then looked away. _I'll give her a few minutes. If she has not returned once the sun has fully set, I'll find her. Once she's eaten, we'll continue on our way. There should be a suitable resting place not too far ahead, with a hot spring nearby. I'll have to have Jaken gather the wood for our fire, also._ And so he waited.

---------

"Master Jaken, may I ask you something?" Rin asked as she pulled a few berries off of a bush. Jaken sighed behind her and muttered something that sounded like "If you must", so Rin continued. "Why does Lord Sesshomaru continue to let me travel with you?"

"What do you mean 'why'? Are you complaining about being allowed to travel in the company of our lord?" Jaken said with an indignant tone in his voice.

"No! No, it's nothing like that! I was just curious, because I know that he doesn't really like humans such as myself, yet he allows me to travel with him, and he has even gone out of his way to save me more than once. I was wondering why."

"I have asked myself that very same question many times over the years, Rin. And I do not have an answer. It seems he is still very much against other humans, but for some unfathomable reason, he doesn't consider you despicable, as he does them."

Rin paused in mid-pick and turned to face the imp. "Do you consider me despicable, Master Jaken?"

Jaken's beak-like mouth dropped open, and he took an involuntary step backwards as he realized what he'd inadvertantly said. "No! Of course not, silly human. I was mearly stating that our lord does not consider you despicable. Do you really think I'd be out here, helping you gather your dinner, if I thought you despicable?"

Rin grinned playfully, "If Lord Sesshomaru wished it, you would. But you're right, I know you don't think that of me. Still, just because Lord Sesshomaru doesn't despise me, that doesn't really explain why he keeps me around. Why not just drop me off in a village now that I'm an adult?"

"Do you want him to leave you in some human village?" Jaken asked, thoroughly astounded that she'd say such a thing. He nearly sighed with relief when she shook her head, glad he didn't have to tell Sesshomaru that she wanted to leave them.

"No, I don't. I like traveling with you and Lord Sesshomaru. It just seems to me that there is no reason to keep me anymore. I understand him letting me follow when I was young, as I had no other home, and wouldn't have been accepted anywhere, but I don't get why he hasn't dispatched me now that I'm able to fend for myself." Rin spoke, a serious look in her eyes, as she moved to the riverside to catch a fish for herself.

"I have no explanation for you, Rin. Unless you'd rather live in a village with others of your species, which is perfectly understandable, you should just let it go. Lord Sesshomaru never explains himself unless it's absolutely necessary, and his keeping you with him, us, doesn't need to be explained. Perhaps he...enjoys your company. Although, I'm certain the only thing he enjoys involves violence, and possibly insulting that irritating half-brother of his, but-" Jaken stated, losing himself in a rant.

"Master Jaken! You're ranting again. I've caught my fish, and picked my berries, so let us return to Lord Sesshomaru before he gets upset with us for taking too long."

"Don't be ridiculous, Rin, we have at least until the sun has fully set."

"Um, Master Jaken, it _has_ fully set. Now let's go!" Rin stated as if talking to a young child, before turning and running back in the direction of her lord. _But why _DOES_ he keep me around? I just don't understand. Perhaps Jaken is right; perhaps I should let it go. If he tires of my presence, he'll tell me. And then I'll be forced to live in a human village. Oh, please don't let that happen. I don't honestly know what I'd do without my lord, he is...everything to me. Of course, I can't tell him that. Though, he probably already knows. Focus, Rin, or you'll get lost! _

----------

Just as he stood to retrieve his traveling companions, her scent reached his sensitive nose. Jaken wasn't far behind, though he was out of breath. And, following behind them was a demon. He nearly missed it, as it was keeping a good distance between itself and its intended prey. But it was there, and Sesshomaru wasn't fool enough to believe it was after Jaken. Turning quickly, he raced in the direction of the demon, which was slowly but surely closing the distance between itself and Rin. _I'll have to hurry. I do not know what breed of demon it is, but it is hungry. How could I have missed its presence earlier? It must've been too far away; I'd have never noticed if it had attacked them while she was gathering her food. _He thought in frustration, nearing his prey.

------------

Rin and Jaken were running towards where Sesshomaru was waiting when a noise in the bushes to their left distracted them. Jaken heard it first, and stopped instinctively, tightening his grip on the Staff of Two Heads. Rin stopped when she noticed that Jaken had stopped, and turned to face him. "Master Jaken, what are you doing? We're going to get in trouble if we don't hurry."

"Keep moving, Rin. Run straight for Lord Sesshomaru and don't stop. I'll catch up with you in a few moments, but first I must take care of this demon."

"Demon, Master Jaken? Are you sure? If there's a demon, then you should come with me, or you might get hurt." Rin said worriedly, taking a tentative step forward. Just as Jaken turned to scold her for ignoring his instructions, there was a loud hissing noise and a long blur shot past him and wound itself around Rin. Rin, in response, screamed loudly, until it tightened it's hold and crushed her enough to knock the wind from her lungs.

"Release her at once, demon!" Jaken ordered bravely, while managing to fear for his own life. _If this snake eats her, Lord Sesshomaru will have my head for sure! I can't let that happen!_

"This human will make a fine meal for myself, so leave me be, imp, or I shall devoure you, two, once I am done with her." The snake demon hissed, it's tongue flicking out at Jaken before it returned its attention to Rin, who was still struggling. "Hold still girl, you'll only damage yourself." When Rin showed no signs of listening to his instructions, the snake extended his tongue, aiming it for her face. She pulled as far back as she could manage, shutting her eyes and setting her jaw tight in fearful preparation for the inevitable.

The sound of something slicing effortlessly through the air preceded the snakes howl of pain by mere seconds, and the coils trapping her slackened enough for her to slip through, and she ran blindly to Jaken, not looking behind her until she was safe. When she turned, she saw the snake lunge at Sesshomaru, blood dripping from its mouth, its tongue lying on the ground near where he'd held her captive.

Sesshomaru sidestepped the lunge effortlessly, and, with a flick of his wrist, the poison whip separated the snake's head from it's body, as both pieces fell limply to the ground, and disintigrated. When only the bones of the demon remained, Sesshomaru turned his attention to Jaken. The imp seemed to shrink into himself as he silently awaited the reprimand that never came. Sesshomaru spared a glance at Jaken, then directed his gaze to Rin. Once he caught her eye, he nodded once and turned, walking away. Rin quickly ran to catch up to him, stopping just behind and to the left of him. Jaken followed silently, staying a good five paces away. They paused to gather Ah-Un, and then continued on their way.

---------

They found a spot to rest for the night not long afterwards, and Jaken quickly went about collecting the firewood, and coincidentally staying out of Sesshomaru's path. Rin was sitting with her back against a tree, hugging her knees to her chest with her eyes shut. Without realizing it, she sighed softly and gently dropped her chin on top of her knees. Her mind kept replaying the attack from that afternoon. _Why is that still bothering me? It isn't the first time a demon has attacked me, hoping for an easy meal. Why is this so different? Sesshomaru saved me, and even if he hadn't, Jaken would have. Sure, my ribs are a little sore from where it nearly crushed me, but, that's hardly any reason to keep dwelling on it. The demon's dead; I saw him die. So, why am I still nervous? Scared, even? It makes no sense; I couldn't be safer, and I know it. My lord won't let anything happen to me, so, why? _Again, without conscious realization, she sighed and shifted her position so that her forhead was now resting on her knees.

Sesshomaru had been silently taking inventory of the scents in the surrounding area when she started sighing. At first, he ignored it and moved to lean against the tree opposite her. When she sighed again, however, he shifted his attention to her small form. She seemed fine, if not tired, huddled the way she was into the tree trunk. But something about her scent was begining to bother him. _She's been unusually quiet all evening. It doesn't usually take her so long to recover from an attack such as that._ Taking a delicate sniff of the air between them, he realized why, at least, she was making herself so small. _She's still afraid. There's an underlying scent of fear eminating off of her. Why? What is she afraid of?_ Deciding to make some sort of attempt to put away this fear, he effortlessly pushed away from the tree, and walked silently towards her, stopping when he was facing her.

"Rin. What is it you're afraid of?" He asked bluntly, never one to dance around a topic. He waited patiently while she found the answer. Finally, she raised her head to look into his eyes as she spoke.

"In truth, My Lord, I don't know. I know I have nothing to be afraid of, but, for some reason, I can't stop thinking about that snake demon. I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a burden, or a bother. Please don't concern yourself over my fear, I'm sure it will go away by morning." When she finished speaking, she gave a valiant attempt at a smile, and succeeded, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"You are neither a burden nor a bother, Rin, I should think you'd know that by now. Now do your best to forget about the snake; it's dead, and you're safe here. Perhaps a rest in the hot springs will soothe your anxiety. Take Ah-Un with you, for protection, though you shouldn't need it."

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru. I'll try not to take too long. Come, Ah-Un!" Rin stated, truly smiling this time, as she turned and headed towards the nearest hot spring, the two-headed dragon following automatically. Sesshomaru watched them go before returning to the tree he'd been leaning against.

--------

Shortly after Rin and Ah-Un had left, Jaken returned with the firewood. He set about making the fire and cooking Rin's fish before he sat down to watch it. After a few moments of silence, he spoke quietly, knowing his lord would hear him. "M'lord, I'm terribly sorry for not destroying that demon before it grabbed Rin. It was very adept at hiding it's presence; I didn't realize it was there until it was too late. Please don't be angry." He knew that the last part was pointless; if Sesshomaru was angry at you, begging could not change it.

Sesshomaru took his time replying, watching Jaken squirm with a hint of amusement, though no one saw it. "What's done is done, Jaken. Next time, pay more attention to your surroundings. And do not beg; it is unbecoming."

"Yes, m'lord. Where is Rin, anyway?"

"Bathing."

"Oh. Might I ask you a question, m'lord?" Jaken asked tentativelly. _I hope I don't upset him; damn Rin for making me so curious about this._

"You may ask."

"With all due respect, Lord Sesshomaru, why is it that Rin still travels with us? I mean, she's old enough to live on her own, in a human village, so, why don't we just...leave her at one."

There was a silence that stretched frighteningly long, and Jaken dared not turn around to face Sesshomaru. Therefore, he did not see the glare that, albeit briefly, flashed across the powerful dog-demon's face. However, it was wiped away just as quickly as it had come, and Sesshomaru's response held a tone that Jaken knew better than to test, though the words created more questions than answers. "That is not something you need to know, Jaken." And, like a good little servant, Jaken kept silent.

---------

Meanwhile, Rin sighed contentedly as she entered the hot water. She ducked twice to rinse her hair thoroughly, and then found a small rock to sit on, letting the water soothe her tired muscles. Leaning her head back, she let her eyes drift shut, as memories good and bad flooded her mind's eye. She remembered her first time in a hot spring, when her family had still been alive.

_**Flashback**_

_"Here we are, Sweetheart. Do you know what this is, Rin?" Her mother, a tall, healthy young woman with black hair and beautiful brown eyes, asked gently, squeazing her small daughter's hand. The four year old copy of her mother looked back at her with innocent eyes and replied: "A big pond?"_

_Her mother chuckled softly and shook her head. "No, dear, this is a hot spring. The water inside is hot, but once you get in, it feels very relaxing. This is how people bathe."_

_"Then how come I've never been to one before? You usually bathe me, Mommy."_

_"You were too young, Rin. Small children get faint in such warm waters. But, I think you're old enough now. Come on, take off your kimono and step in."_

_Rin obediently released her summer kimono, but paused at the water's edge and glanced sideways at her mother. "Mommy, will you get in first, please? I'm scared."_

_"Of course, dear. Don't be afraid, there's nothing to worry about. Watch." And her mother slipped gracefully into the water, turning around once she was in so she could steady her daughter as she slowly stuck first one foot, then the other, into the water._

_"Mommy, it's hot!" Rin cried, pulling her feet out quickly. Her mother laughed softly again, and held out her arms._

_"That's ok, Rin, it's supposed to be hot. You'll be fine, I promise. Once you're all the way in it'll feel good, trust me."_

_"Okay, if you say so." She said hesitantly, and once again stepped in. This time, instead of jumping out, she dove for her mother, ignoring the heat and repeating her mother's promise inside her head. Her mother caught her easily and held her for a few moments, letting the four year old adjust to the temperature._

_Slowly, she released her hold. "There, does it still burn?"_

_Rin slowly shook her head. "No, mama, it feels good, just like you promised!" And so they enjoyed Rin's first bath in a hot spring together, laughing at her father and brother, and telling jokes, while Rin's mother washed her hair._

_**End flashback**_

She laughed quietly to herself as she recalled that fond memory of her mother; one of the few she still had. Rin frowned as she thought of how many memories of her family she'd had when she was younger, that had faded away as she grew. She could still remember what her mother looked like, but not her father, or her brother. They had brown hair, of that she was sure, and brown eyes. Beyond that, there was nothing. Did her brother have freckles, like so many other young boys often did? Did her father have broad shoulders from working in the fields? She couldn't remember. _Oh well. There's nothing I can do to get those memories back, but I know what I _imagine_ them to look like. That'll have to be good enough. I need to focus, I can't stay out here too long, or Lord Sesshomaru might worry. Or get angry. I suppose it's time to go, then._ She thought, standing slowly to steady herself from the slight dizziness that came from spending too much time in the hot springs.

As she stepped out, she grabbed the small towel that was drapped across Ah-Un's back, next to her clean kimono. Toweling herself off, she tried not to think about what could be just behind the bushes, watching her. _Where'd that thought come from? If anyone, or anything, was back there, Ah-Un would've noticed. I'm safe. I have a two-headed dragon playing bodyguard, no one's going to eat me. Or worse...Get a grip, Rin! What's wrong with you lately? This is pathetic, I never used to be so...frightened. Why am I suddenly so insecure? Lord Sesshomaru specifically told me not to worry. I know he'll protect me. And I feel safe when I'm by his side, so, why don't I feel safe when I'm next to Ah-Un? Maybe I'm just more shaken up than usuall. Maybe it really will go away before morning. _ Even as the last thought crossed her mind, she knew it was unlikely. Sighing in defeat, she slipped into her fresh kimono and gathered up her old one for Jaken to wash before bed, as he always did.

---------

A few minutes later, Rin returned to the make-shift camp, walking automatically to the campfire, where her fish were waiting for her. Jaken shifted uneasily as he watched her drop gently down across from him, and pick up her dinner. She paused with the fish half-way to her mouth and looked over at the imp. "What's wrong, Master Jaken? Why are you so quiet, and uncomfortable?"

"Who said I was uncomfortable! I'm just fine, thank you. Nothing's wrong, so stop imagining things. Just eat your meal and give me your dirty kimono so I can wash it. And what took you so long, anyway? Your dinner almost burned."

Rin giggled at Jaken's outburst as she passed over her kimono with her free hand. "I'm sorry, Master Jaken. I lost track of time. I hope you weren't worried."

"Don't be ridiculus, girl, of course I wasn't worried. Why would I, a demon, worry about you, a human woman? You'll die eventually, it's unavoidable; you're mortal, after all." He huffed proudly, not realizing that what he'd said could upset her. Reaching out to take her clothing, he noticed her hand shake slightly. "If you're cold, Rin, then sit closer to the fire. You know that." And then he stood and walked off, intent on washing her clothes before it got too late.

When Jaken left, Rin shook her head slightly and took a big bite out of the fish, trying her best to ignore his words and the lack of sensitivity in his voice. _He probably just got carried away and didn't realize what he was saying. He does it all the time; besides, I know he cares, though he tries to hide it. Usually he says it's his duty as Lord Sesshomaru's vassal to care about me, as I'm Sesshomaru's ward, but, I know he cares anyway. So igonore his words._ As she thought this, she ate, only snapping out of her trance when the fish was gone, and only bones remained. She tossed them into the pile created by the two fish Jaken had eaten, and then turned her gaze towards the fire, again letting her mind wander, completely unaware of the golden eyes that were observing her every move.

Sesshomaru had watched the scene between his vassal and his ward without comment. He knew Jaken was still uneasy after their conversation from before. And he also knew that was why Jaken had said what he'd said. He'd been trying to sound as indifferent as Sesshomaru always sounded; and he'd succeeded this time, too. Of course, what Jaken didn't know, and what Sesshomaru was valiantly ignoring, was the fact that the great Lord of the Western Lands did, indeed, care. More so than he should. Everyone who knew Sesshomaru knew that he protected the human woman sitting before him. Those who knew him well knew that he actually cared; though no one knew why. And only the dog-demon himself knew why, though he ignored it, and tried to deny it, with every conscious thought. What irritated him were the _un_conscious thoughts, the instincts, the urges, the reactions. He had some level of control of his physical reactions to whatever situations might arise, but he was finding out, more each day, that he had _no _level of control over his _internal_ reactions. That was what bothered him. That and why she was still marginally afraid.

He'd noted, with an unvoiced satisfaction, that she wasn't as afraid, or nervous, as she had been before her trip to the hot springs. But she was still worried about something. And he was finding himself getting extremely curious as to what it was. _It's ridiculus to be bothered by her emotional state; she's fine, and whatever it is will leave her. Eventually. _ And, though he hated admitting it, even to himself, it was that 'eventually' that was worrying him. So, after a few long moments of quietly watching her stare into the fire, he spoke. "Rin. Come here."

Rin jumped, just a bit, at the sound of his voice. She'd forgotten that he was there. Obediently, she stood and walked over to him, sitting down beside him and tucking her legs underneath her. "Yes, my lord?"

"You're still worried. Tell me why."

She sighed, not knowing how to respond, and her gaze dropped to the ground. "I'm...not sure, Lord Sesshomaru. I thought I was still shaken up, but, now...I'm not so sure. I felt fine while I was bathing, but, when I stepped out, I got nervous. I found myself worried about anyone who might've been spying on me, even when I _knew_ there was no one. I-I don't understand it, my lord."

Sesshomaru nodded in understanding, though he was nowhere near acceptance. It bothered him that something might be wrong with her. And that it bothered him, bothered him. "Did Jaken's words upset you?" He heard her breath hitch in her throat; she obviously didn't want to say the wrong thing. "I won't make an issue of it unless it happens again, Rin, I merely want to know."

"I-a little, yes. I know they shouldn't have; everything he said was accurate. I am mortal, and I will die because of that, if nothing else. And I know he does worry, even when he tries to hide it. But, the words still hurt. I don't _want_ to die; especially not of old age. After you go to such efforts to save me, it seems...almost like it would be an insult. To die like that. To die at all, rather. I'm sorry, I don't know why it's bothering me so much today."

"Do not apologize, Rin. These fears are understandable. However, you mustn't let Jaken's ramblings bother you. Focus, instead, on the present. Try not to worry too much over how, or when, you'll die; as it's not going to happen anytime soon. There'll be time enough for thoughts such as those in later years. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord. Everything you say makes sense. I'm sorry I'm being such an inconvience today, Lord Sesshomaru."

"If everything I've said makes sense, then stop apologizing." He scolded half-heartedly; though she didn't know that. She nodded in understanding and moved to give him his space. As she stood, he caught his hand twitching, unnoticably, in her direction, seemingly to pull her back down, next to him. Instead, he crossed his arms and watched her settle against the other tree, in much the same position as before.

He was trying to ignore the half of his brain that was arguing with her statements. _She truly believes she'll die of old age. Of course, that would be because, at this rate, you'll never aknowledge your true feelings. Admitting to those urges would be against everything I've ever stood for; if I mate with a human, with Rin, I'll become my father. He died because he fell in love with a mortal woman; and that union resulted in that half-breed brother of mine, Inuyasha. I won't suffer the same fate; even if it means denying my heart. Until 10 years ago, I didn't believe I had a heart, which suited me fine; hearts are full of emotion, and emotion makes you weak. Why, then, do I care? Why, how, was she able to reach what I never thought I had? I was willing to slay my own father; but I would never consider slaying Rin. That is as far as that will go. My father died becaused he loved a human. I won't do the same._

What he was, of course, ignoring, was the fact that he'd already fallen in love with a mortal. He was, after all, the master of hiding his emotions; even, apparently, from himself. So, as Jaken returned to camp and layed Rin's drying kimono on a blanket on the ground, he spared one last glance at the woman who was slowly drifting to sleep, and allowed his own eyes to rest for a while. He didn't fall asleep until almost dawn; but he was a dog-demon, and didn't need more than a couple of hours of sleep. Rin, his subconscious noted, slept deeply all night.

**To Be Continued...**

A/N: TaaDaa! Chapter one (technically two, I know). So, what did you think? Does it have potential? Hopefully you'll think so, I mean, I worked pretty hard on this. Anyway, let me know what you think and stay tuned for chapter three! Oh, but flames are not welcome. They hurt my feelings. Lol. Anywho, on to chapter three, yes!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello again, everyone! Here's chapter 3, hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. I was born and raised in America; therefore, I am _not_ Rumiko Takahashi. I am, however, looking forward to owning season 2 on DVD, when it comes out.

**Someone to Protect**

Sesshomaru woke first, as he always did, when morning came. He stood gracefully and surveyed the area, more out of habit than necessity. Jaken was snoring beside Ah-Un, who was sleeping peacefully. Rin's now-clean kimono was nearly dry, between Jaken and the spot where the fire had been the night before. Rin herself was sleeping peacefully against the other tree, curled into a ball. He paused in his survey to watch her sleep for a moment, noting, not for the first time, how calm and happy she looked when she slept. And, if he were being honest with himself, how beautiful she truly was. He quickly snapped himself out of his thoughts and averted his gaze elsewhere, lecturing himself for allowing such thoughts.

Jaken's snoring stopped abruptly with a snort, and moments later he heard the imp scrambling around and putting Rin's spare kimono away, along with the blanket. A movement behind him told him that Ah-Un had also awoken, and that Rin was now the only one still asleep. As these thoughts crossed his mind, Jaken hurried forward and poked her shoulder with the Staff of Two Heads. "Wake up, Rin, it's time to go! If you don't wake up, then we'll just leave you behind."

"I'm up, Master Jaken, stop poking me." Rin mumbled through her hair, as it had fallen into her face during the night. Jaken stepped back and huffed, crossing his arms. Rin yawned and brushed her hair back before standing and stretching. Then, with a smile still laced with the remnants of sleep, she said, "Which direction are we headed today, Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru glanced at her from over his shoulder briefly before replying, "East, Rin." And then he began walking east, just as he'd said. Jaken scurried and fell into step behind his lord, another day of traveling ahead of them, while Rin stayed back to walk beside Ah-Un.

----------

They'd been walking for many hours in companionable silence, and the sun was high overhead, though it was only mildly warm. Rin had fallen asleep on Ah-Un's back, and had been sleeping peacefully. Jaken was silently following Sesshomaru, holding Ah-Un's reigns in one hand, and his staff in the other. Sesshomaru was walking well ahead of them, his long hair blowing lightly in the soft breeze. He paused when he thought he heard Rin mumble something that sounded like "...no, please don't...", and was about to brush it off when she screamed.

Rin's scream pierced the air and she flailed once before rolling over, and off of Ah-Un. Jaken had nearly jumped out of his skin when she shrieked, and was turned half-way around when he realized she was falling, still sound asleep. Just as he'd realized this, however, her decent was halted before she hit the ground, as Sesshomaru caught her effortlessly in his arms and stood, still holding her. The dragon snorted it's displeasure at the loud scream from a moment ago, and Jaken took a tentative step forward. "Um, Lord Sesshomaru, should we wake her?"

"Leave her to me, Jaken. Take Ah-Un and go fetch some water from the stream nearby." Sesshomaru stated, never taking his piercing golden eyes off of Rin's sleeping face.

"Ay, m'lord!" Jaken squeaked, tightening his hold on the reigns and hurrying off towards the stream.

Once they were gone, Sesshomaru turned and walked over to a tree, and sat down, still holding Rin in his arms. She was still sweating and cringing, but she'd stopped moaning, which he took to be a good sign. After a moment, she rolled into his chest, burying her face in the crook of his arm. He sat there for a minute, watching her sleep, before finally deciding to wake her. Adjusting her slightly, so that she wasn't quite so snuggled against him, he gently traced her face with his right hand. When he spoke, he spoke softly. "Rin, you must wake up."

_Dream/Flashback:_

_"Rin, you must wake up!" Her mother's frantic voice penetrated her nightmare, and the nearly six year old Rin slowly opened her eyes._

_"What is it, Mommy? Was I making too much noise?" It was then that she noticed the smoke in the air, and the fear on her mother's unusually pale face._

_"No, sweetheart, but we need to leave. We need to leave now, and you can't take anything with you. Quickly, get up, take my hand, and don't make a noise, alright?"_

_"Ok, but, why?"_

_"Hush, Rin, hush!" Her mother whispered harshly, holding a finger to her mouth as Rin took her other hand. Suddenly the little girl got scared and she was clinging to her mother's hand for all she was worth. As soon as she was off the bed, her mother was dragging her out of the small hut and away from the burning village. _

_When they'd cleared the village, her mother stopped and glanced over her shoulder before continuing on. That pause had given Rin an opportunity to look at her former home, also, and what she saw confused and frightened her. The village was nearly destroyed, every home, both large and small, was on fire. And if she really listened, she could hear screaming._

_"Mommy, where's Dad? And my brother?"_

_"They're not coming, Rin, I'm sorry. Now don't look back, you have to keep up, ok?"_

_Rin paused, not wanting to leave her life behind, even if she still had her mother. Eventually, though, she nodded, and together they went in search of a new village. One that eventually got hit by another group of bandits; and sent Rin on a search for yet another, this time without her mother. And while she was traveling, a voice, a familiar, trusted, voice, flowed through her mind: "Rin, you must wake up."_

_End Dream/Flashback_

"Rin, you must wake up." Sesshomaru repeated a bit more firmly. He noticed her brows furrow momentarily, and then her eyes slowly drifted open, blinking to adjust to the light of the sun.

"L-lord Sesshomaru? What is it?"

"You were having a nightmare, and you fell off of Ah-Un. I sent Jaken to get you some water."

"Oh. I'm sorry if I disturbed you, my lord." She paused, noticing for the first time that she was actually in Sesshomaru's arms. "Um, did you catch me, my lord?" She asked, blushing, yet proud of herself for not stuttering.

"Would you rather I hadn't?"

"No! Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru."

"You are welcome, Rin. Can you stand?" He asked, not completely wanting her to say yes, but knowing it was better that way. When she nodded, he stood, and gently placed her on her feet. He waited until he was certain that she wasn't going to topple over for any reason before removing his hand from her shoulder.

Rin had just opened her mouth to thank him again when Jaken returned with the water. "Ah, Rin, you're awake. Well, you'd better be thirsty. You should drink this anyway, it'll help keep you from feeling faint."

"Thank you, Master Jaken." She said, accepting it politely and drinking her fill.

"You know, you really shouldn't scream like that. You're voice gets very loud sometimes, and it hurts our ears." Jaken stated, nodding his head in agreement with himself. Rin paused in her drinking and looked at him.

"I screamed? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt anyone's ears."

"Well, you should be-" Jaken began, only to be interrupted by Sesshomaru.

"Leave it, Jaken. Rin had no control over what she did, as you well know."

"Of course, m'lord." Jaken said quietly, averting his gaze from that of his lord's.

"Good. Now let us continue." Sesshomaru said matter-of-factly, resuming the walk. Jaken, Rin, and Ah-Un quickly fell into step behind their lord.

-----------

They had only traveled a small distance after their impromptu break when Sesshomaru stopped again. Rin had just stopped, in order to avoid walking into the great dog-demon, when Jaken walked into her legs, causing her knees to buckle. Losing her balance from the collision, she accidentally toppled face-first into Sesshomaru. "Hehehe, sorry, sorry!" Jaken mumbled, not looking up.

"Sorry, my lord! Master Jaken, watch where you're going!" Rin stated, regaining her balance. Then, she asked, "Um, why did we stop?"

In response, Sesshomaru returned his gaze to the sky, where they could see a large falcon-demon circling above them. As they watched, the demon bird landed in front of Sesshomaru, and then began glowing a grey-brown color. When the lights finally subsided, the falcon was gone, and in its place was a demon that more resembled a man. He was tall, though not as tall as Sesshomaru, and broad-shouldered. He had dark brown hair that was laced with grey feathers, and fell to mid-back in a high ponytail. He had piercing black eyes, and nearly no visible white surrounding them, and a slightly pointed nose on his long face. He also had a darker complection than most demons and long, bony fingers with talon-like fingernails. He wore a rich blue kimono underneath sharp, black armor. His armor covered his chest and both shoulders, and it was tied with a grey ribbon that somehow exactly matched the feathers in his hair. He also had a sword at his hip. "So, Sesshomaru, what brings through my forest this time?" He said as he stood, placing one hand at his hip and grinning ever-so-slightly.

"Ubenomaru. I believe you know the answer to that." Sesshomaru replied calmly.

"Sure I do. It's the same every time 'just passing through, don't mind me'. Right? Right. Well, while you're here, I think there're a couple of things you should be caught up on, anyway. When was the last time you got a report on all the 'official' crap that's going on?"

"Two months ago."

"Oh, well, then, you definitely need to be caught up on things." Ubenomaru stated plainly, glancing behind Sesshomaru to observe Rin and Jaken. Jaken immediately spoke up.

"We can wait here, m'lord, don't worry!"

"See that you do, Jaken." Sesshomaru stated, following Ubenomaru to another part of the forest, where they couldn't be overheard.

-----------

"Um, Master Jaken, who was that demon? How do he and Lord Sesshomaru know each other?" Rin asked, completely baffled at what had just taken place.

"That was Ubenomaru, a falcon demon and Lord of the Eastern Lands. He and Lord Sesshomaru have an alliance, of sorts, just as they do with the lords of the Northern and Southern Lands. Whatever he needed to speak to our lord about must have been business, else he wouldn't have disturbed us during our travels." Jaken explained proudly.

"Oh, I see. So, who are the lords of the other lands, then?"

"Well, those wolves, Koga and Ayame, are the Lord and Lady of the Northern Lands, though you should know _that._ And the Southern Lands have been going through trying times, but, last I checked, they were run by Lord Morumotto and Lady Nezumi. But, that was as of three months ago. You wouldn't know who they are."

"Oh. Thank you, Master Jaken."

"If you're to travel with us for the duration of your mortal life, then you should at least know the name's of the other Lords and Ladies."

"So, who is Ubenomaru's lady?"

"Her name is Lady Taka. They're both very respectable demons." Jaken replied, before launching into yet another long-winded rant.

-----------

Ubenomaru stopped walking once they were far enough away from Sesshomaru's traveling companions to prevent being overheard. He turned to properly face the Lord of the Western Lands, and paused a moment before begining his story. He knew that the news he had would not leave the demon lord in a good mood. _Quite the opposite, actually. I'll be lucky to survive this little impromptu meeting; well, if he had no control over himself, then there'd be cause to worry. It'll be the snakes that have to worry._ He thought, taking a deep breath to begin.

"You're aware of the leadership problems in the Southern Lands, correct?" Ubenomaru began.

"Of course. I assume the situation has changed recently?"

"Yes, and not for the better, I'm afraid. Morumotto's been killed. The snakes overthrew him, and then ate him and his youngest daughter just to rub it in. The elder son escaped, though no one's seen any sign of him since. Nezumi's being held as a captive. They've threatened to eat her, too, if her son doesn't return. I doubt he's gotten the message, though. Besides that, they'd probably eat them both if he did surrender himself."

"So the snake's are officially in charge of the south? Which ones?"

"Uroko and Hebi are Lord and Lady; the twins, Reikoku and Dokueki, are in charge of their warriors; the eldest daughter, Suberiyasui, is the official heir."

"I was under the impression that Suberiyasui had an elder brother called Doku, what of him?"

"Doku was slain, either yesterday or the day before, somewhere on the edge of my forest. I got word this morning that if I didn't bring them the head of his killer, they'd begin a takeover of my own lands. While I tried to explain that his death was, by no means, my fault, they made it very clear that their son's death was only a legitimate excuse to attack." Ubenomaru paused, locking gazes with Sesshomaru. "You mean to tell me you don't know?"

"What are you refering to, Ubenomaru?"

"I investigated the sight of Doku's death. I know who killed him."

"Who, then?"

"Sesshomaru, have you ever met the snakes?"

"I met Uroko once, three years ago, and I intend to never repeat the experience. Why?"

"Because, I thought you knew them all. Then again, I suppose I should've figured better, _I_ haven't met them all. But, getting back to your question; _you_ killed Doku. Yesterday, I believe."

Sesshomaru was silent for a long moment, digesting this, and then it hit him. The snake that had attacked Rin late yesterday afternoon. _That snake must have been Doku._ "I remember slaying a snake late yesterday. If what you say is true, then it must have been him."

"That's what I'd assume. There's an additional problem, though. They know you did it. I'm sure their threat to me was only a formality; but I'm also sure that they won't just _ignore_ the fact that you killed their son. And no matter what your excuse for it is, they won't rest until they've slain you, or died trying."

"Then they'll quickly learn the error of their ways. I have no truce with them, as they came into their power inappropriately. Thank you, Ubenomaru, for your information. Is there anything else?"

"Just out of curiousity; why'd you kill him? You couldn't have thought a snake was a threat to you personally. Did it have anything to do with that human girl you travel with?" Ubenomaru asked, not missing the glare that flashed across the other lord's eyes, no matter how brief it was.

"Doku attempted to make her an evening snack. She is under my protection, therefore, I killed him." Sesshomaru replied after a moment's hesitation.

"Right, I'd heard she was your ward, but, what happened to 'all humans are pathetic and should either stay out of my way or perish immediately'?"

"That is not pertinent to our current situation."

Ubenomaru sighed. "Of course not. But, you should know; it's not just you they'll go after. They'll go after her, too. Her scent was still in the area, just as yours was."

Sesshomaru nodded in understanding; _The snakes will, undoubtedly, make another attempt at Rin. And they shall be most disappointed with the results of those attacks._

Their conversation done, the two powerful demon lords turned to walk back to the group just as Rin's high-pitched scream once again sliced through the air. It was followed moments later with a burst of fire that could only have been Jaken's Staff of Two Heads. Sesshomaru quickly ran towards them, one hand resting on the hilt of Tokijin. Ubenomaru followed behind him, fearing he recognized the scent of the offending demon and flexing his long talons in preparation.

When they got there, Jaken lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious but otherwise unharmed, and Ah-Un was blocking the path of a large snake demon, who had Rin in it's coils. She was also unconscious, and bruised. The snake turned it's head when the two lords appeared. Ubenomaru spoke first. "What are you doing? You'll put that girl down, or I won't be responsible for your death, got it?"

"I'll not obey you, O' Lord of the East. This girl is responsible for the death of Doku; I'll take her to my lord and be greatly rewarded."

"I tried." Ubenomaru said, stepping aside and allowing Sesshomaru unblocked access to the snake. It hissed as it recognized the dog-demon.

Just as it braced itself for a fight, Sesshomaru lunged, Tokijin in hand, and neatly sliced it in two. He sheathed Tokijin just as the snake began to fall, and it's grasp on Rin slackened. He caught her effortlessly for the second time that day and jumped gracefully out of the way of the now-dead snake. He landed near Jaken and Ubenomaru, both of whom were watching him. "My lord, I tried to protect her, but he came at me so quickly! Please don't be angry!" Jaken squeaked, bowing deeply and secretly wishing he was still unconscious. Sesshomaru ignored him.

"You'll need to clean that cut on her forehead, or more demons will come after her. My palace isn't far, you can clean her up there. Follow me." Ubenomaru offered, walking away. Sesshomaru followed, as did Jaken and Ah-Un.

"You knew that snake. Was he related to Doku?"

"No, that was the messanger that I met with earlier today. His name was Gara. I'm sorry; I had no idea he was still in the area, or I'd have warned you about him. Is the girl ok?"

"She will be." Was Sesshomaru's short reply. The rest of the walk was silent.

**To Be Continued...**

A/N: I don't know if you can call this a cliff-hanger or not, especially since I'll probably post Ch. 4 up at the same time. Oh well. If you want, you could always, y'know, review. Or you could wait 'til the end of the updates; that's what I do. Anyway, I hope you're liking it so far!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Alrighty, here's chapter 4! Yeeeeaaaaa! Ahem, ok, so, yeah, on with the disclaimer I suppose, eh?

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Though, he is on my ever-growing list of characters/shows that I _wish_ I owned, it shall never come to be, so, he belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. sigh

**Someone to Protect**

The walk to Ubenomaru's palace took barely 10 minutes, though it felt much longer since no one had uttered a word since Sesshomaru and Ubenomaru's short conversation. When they reached the lands, two servants came up and ushered Jaken and Ah-Un to the stables near-by; Jaken was opting to stay with the dragon, lest he incur his lord's wrath. As he traveled to the large stables, he noticed how similar in size the palace was to Sesshomaru's own home in the west. It was quite large and had many entrances scattered on all sides for easy access, along with guards to assure that no unwanted guests let themselves in. The area surrounding the palace was beautiful; it was surrounded with lush fields of all types of flowers and birds were singing in the trees on the property's edge. For a ruling demon palace, it was actually quite peacefull. Minus the overly-somber falcon lord and his deathly-silent dog-demon companion, of course.

---------

As the servants led the dragon and the imp away, Ubenomaru led Sesshomaru to a room near the back of the grand palace. He slid the doors open for Sesshomaru and waited until he'd passed before entering himself. Two maids were inside the room, cleaning it, and they looked up, startled, at the disturbance. Ubenomaru smiled politely. "Forgive me, but our guest needs a clean bandage and some cold water, could you go get them, please?"

They chorused "Yes, of course, m'lord!" and scurried out of the room, gently shutting the door behind them. Once they were gone, the falcon returned his attention to Sesshomaru and the human girl cradled in his arms.

"You can place her on the bed, there's not much we can do without the bandages. How's her cut?"

"The bleeding has slowed; it is not very deep. I appreciate your hospitality, Lord Ubenomaru." Sesshomaru stated, inclining his head slightly to show respect, though never taking his eyes off Rin's face. She was slightly pale, most likely due to the slight loss of blood and trauma of being attacked by another snake demon. His golden eyes darkened dangerously as he remembered how uneasy she'd been after the last attack, when she hadn't actually gotten hurt. _Twice in as many days she has been attacked by snakes. She has never liked the scaly demons; these past two days have undoubtedly inhanced her fear of them. It's twice in as many days that I've been nearly too late to prevent a worse fate at their fangs. I will have to be more aware of our surroundings for the time being; these snakes are irritatingly hard to sense before they strike, -_ his thoughts were interrupted by his hosts response.

"You don't need to thank me; you've shown me hospitality in the past, I'm merely returning the favor."

Sesshomaru's eyes snapped to the door moments before it was slowly opened, and one of the two servants from before came in, some bandages, clean cloths, and large bowl of cold water in her hands. She placed them near the foot of the bed and bowed deeply as she silently backed out of the room and the door was shut. The two lords were silent until their footsteps faded. Ubenomaru leaned deceptively casually against the opposite wall and said, "As she's your ward, I'll let you clean her wounds. That cut on her forehead's the worst, but not the only one. I'll go check on your other two companions and let you work. Should you need anything, my servants have been instructed to aide you; otherwise, you're welcome to stay as long as you feel necessary. I'll check back on you both later, then." And without further comment, he pushed himself off the wall and headed out the door; not missing the stare Sesshomaru graced him with.

---------

When the door had shut, and Ubenomaru was gone, Sesshomaru dipped the cloth into the water and then placed it gently onto Rin's forehead, cleaning the cut. Though he pressed as lightly as he could, she still cringed in pain from the contact of the cold, wet fabric onto her open wound. The sensation did, however, help to awaken her from her unwanted slumber. As Sesshomaru delicately wiped away the slowly drying blood, her eyes drifted open, blinking several times to adjust her focus. She groaned slightly before she spoke. "L-lord Sesshomaru? Why does my head hurt?"

"Hush, Rin. You received a small cut to the forehead when the snake demon attacked you; I am merely cleaning it."

"Oh. Thank you, my lord. Um, I do not wish to show ungratefulness, but, why is Master Jaken not the one attending to me?" She asked quietly, blushing out of embarrassment for asking such a pointless question; sometimes she just couldn't ignore her curiousity.

Sesshomaru allowed a small smirk to grace his lips as he replied, "Jaken is hiding in the stables, hoping to avoid me until he believes I have...calmed." He paused his ministrations as she started giggling lightly, obviously trying not to, and failing miserably. Somehow he found the sight, and the sound, rather endearing; though he'd never admit it. After a moment, she settled down and he continued.

After another few minutes of silence, he removed the cloth and reached for a bandage. "You'll need to sit up a bit, Rin; this has to go around your head to be secure."

"Is it necessary, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"For today, yes. I do not expect it to bleed anymore, but it is a necessary precaution. You should be able to remove it come morning." He replied, adjusting himself so that he was sitting behind her as he began to bandage her head. He wound it around twice to secure it, and then neatly sliced off the excess with his claws. When he was done, Rin turned half-way to smile at him and asked, "Am I done?"

He shook his head, a slight scowl on his face, "No, Rin. You have two other small cuts that need to be cleaned. They've since stopped bleeding, but the dried blood needs to be washed away before we leave here. Let me see your left arm."

Rin obediently held out her left arm, noticing for the first time a small tear in her kimono sleeve. _It must be where the cut is. But, I only see one tear, so, where's the other cut?_ She thought, but then brushed the thoughts aside, as it didn't matter, because she wasn't the one cleaning it, and Sesshomaru probably already knew.

The great Lord of the Western Lands slowly and gently pushed up the sleeve of her kimono, revealing the small gash just above her elbow. It had, indeed, stopped bleeding, though it had bled more than he'd realized, as her elbow was nearly covered in dried blood. The sight did not please him, though he'd already known it wouldn't. Pushing that thought aside, he grabbed another fresh cloth and began lightly scrubbing the skin on her elbow to remove the blood. She winced a bit when he began cleaning the wound itself, though she tried to hide it. Fortunately, he made short work of that wound, and soon released her arm, her kimono falling back into place. _I'll have to buy her a new one._ He thought as he realized that part of the sleeve had blood soaked into it.

"Where is the other wound, my lord?"

"Your right leg, I believe." He politely ignored the blush that rose to her cheeks when she realized she'd have to pull her skirt up nearly to her waist in order for him to clean the last cut. Still, she shifted without question and slowly pulled the right side of her skirt up until she'd cleared the small gash that came about dead-center on her thigh. The blush increased tenfold when he pressed the cloth to her leg, and she looked away.

For his part, Sesshomaru was finding himself slightly uncomfortable as well, though he knew he shouldn't have been. This was Rin, the human girl-now a woman-that he'd practically raised. But he knew that was not entirely true; theirs had never been a father/daughter relationship; it had more of a guardian/ward mind-set than anything else. She'd had a father; and Jaken had taken care of her, though 'father' was never the role he'd played, either. He'd taught her to fish, pick only healthy berries and plants, and even how to cook the food she ate. Sesshomaru had protected her, cared for her, and comforted her on occasion, and done his best to teach her manners, which she learned rather well. Yet still he found himself...reacting to this contact, though it was not intended to be intimate in any way. And, thanks to his sensitive nose, he could tell that she was reacting in much the same way. Which did nothing to help him.

Once he'd finally removed the dried blood from her and assured himself that her wounds were all properly healed, he stood and extended a hand to her. She paused only momentarily before smiling and taking his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. "Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru."

"You've no need to thank me, Rin. We need to find Jaken and Ah-Un; but you'll need to change kimono's before we leave. You have dried blood on both your sleeve and your skirt; it will attract unwanted attention."

"Yes, of course, my lord. I believe my spare kimono is with Ah-Un, I'll wear that." Sesshomaru nodded agreement and led the way to the stables, where the aforementioned imp and two-headed dragon were patiently waiting.

-------

Jaken jumped to attention when he spotted his lord, closely followed by Rin, striding towards him. He immediately noticed the bandage covering her forehead, though it didn't seem to slow her down. She was only slightly distracted by the many different types of flowers in the garden they were crossing through. _Always paying more attention to the flowers than anything else. Silly human._ He bowed deeply when Sesshomaru stopped, Rin stopping beside him.

"Master Jaken, I need my extra kimono, please."

"What for? Did you ruin that one already?"

"It has blood stains; Lord Sesshomaru says the demons will smell it and come after me if I wear it."

"Oh, of course, I knew that! Here, put this on, but try not to get any blood on it, got it?" Rin nodded and turned to change in the empty stall beside Ah-Un. She came out a second later, holding her now-ruined kimono in one hand, and her untied obi in the other.

"Here, Master Jaken. I can't tie this and hold onto that at the same time." She said, handing it to him. Jaken took it and scurried off to throw it away.

Rin turned to re-enter the stall and tie her obi properly when a clawed hand landed lightly on her shoulder. She stopped mid-step and glanced over her shoulder at Sesshomaru as he stood behind her. "Yes, my lord?"

"Hold still, Rin." Was all he said as he gently took the obi from her hands and proceeded to tie it himself. She remained silent and still as a statue while he tied the deep blue obi. When she felt his arms drop back to his sides, she turned gracefully and smiled up at him.

"Thank you, my lord, though you didn't need to do that for me."

He said nothing, but smiled briefly at her, causing her face to flush and her breath to catch momentarily. They were saved from further incrimination when Jaken returned, entirely oblivious to what he'd interrupted. Or, rather, what he'd temporarily prevented.

---------

Shortly thereafter, they were on their way. Lord Ubenomaru and Lady Taka, a beautiful falcon demon with unusual purple hair and golden-yellow feathers, promised to inform them on any updates and bid them a polite farewell, both with knowing smiles on their faces. When they had left the palace grounds, Jaken wasted no time in asking his lord why that latest snake had blamed Rin for the death of 'Doku' and why he'd thought he'd be rewared for her capture. With a silent sigh of resignation, Sesshomaru bluntly informed them of their latest problem.

Rin was the first to break the ensuing silence. "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru. I didn't mean to cause you any unnecessary problems such as this, if I hadn't gone for food right then-"

"Nonsense, Rin. You did nothing wrong; the snakes have brought about their own fate. I do not want to hear you apologize again for this situation, am I clear?"

"Yes, of course, my lord, I'm-I understand." Rin corrected, bowing her head. They continued to walk in silence afterwards, each lost in their own thoughts.

-----------

The next couple of days passed uneventfully. They traveled as they always did, and Rin was able to remove her bandage at daybreak of the next day, just as Sesshomaru had said. They had not spoken of the snakes; Rin not wanting to discuss the creature which she feared more than she reasonably should; Jaken not wanting to test his lord's patience, especially since the situation was directly threatening Rin, and he knew _very_ well what happened to demon's who tried that, and how quicky Sesshomaru lost his patience in those situations. Sesshomaru himself debating on simply dropping in on the snakes and kicking them out of the power they'd so recently aquired or waiting for them to come to him.

------------

On the morning of the fourth day after the last snake attack, Rin woke early and journeyed to the small stream that was flowing nearby so as to wash out and replenish their water containers. She'd just begun refilling the first one when she heard a twig snap behind her. She froze, fearing another snake, and the container slipped from her fingers and spilled its contents onto the grass beside her.

"I would prefer it if you did not choose to separate yourself until we have properly dealt with the snakes, Rin. Surely you did not believe that we were that desperate for water?" Sesshomaru's lightly scolding (and oddly comforting) voice drifted down to her and she released the breath she'd forgotten she was holding.

"I merely thought that I would help out a little since I woke up so early. I honestly didn't consider an attack, my lord. I'm sorry."

Sesshomaru knelt down and picked up the dropped container, handing it to her. Her fingers brushed against his as their eyes met, and they both tried to ignore the tingling sensation that the brief contact had caused. She smiled and looked away, attempting to focus on filling it with water. She knew he was watching her, but she didn't dare allow herself to wonder why he suddenly seemed interested in her. _Just because he's staring doesn't mean he's actually interested in me. Not...not like that. I'm a human; sure, he protects me, but it's not because of...love. I'm his property; I have been since he used the Tenseiga to resurect me, and I'm perfectly happy with that. Even if I would _prefer _a...closer relationship-NO! That's not proper. I can't allow myself to think those things, it'll only make it hurt worse when I get too old to travel. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he finds a legitimate reason to send me away. He's immortal, I'm not. I'll die of old age; he won't. It's just that simple. Focus, Rin, you have another container to fill and he's bound to have noticed that this one's spilling over uselessly._ Shaking her head marginally, she capped the first bottle and stuck the second one under the water.

Sesshomaru watched Rin with observant eyes, noting the blush in her cheeks when she realized he was watching her, and the slight change in her scent that the knowledge caused. He watched her eyes glaze over as she lost herself in thought and only snapped out of her daze when she realized that the canister had overflown. Though, if he was being truthful, an irritatingly large part of himself wanted to know what she was thinking so intently about, he decided easily enough that if it really continued to bother her, she'd talk to him about it then. He nearly smirked at her sigh of frustration when a light breeze picked up and blew her long, raven hair into her face. She brought up her free hand to push back her misplaced hair, only to have it blow right out of place again, which resulted in another sigh.

Capping the bottle, she placed it beside the other one and dug into her kimono, coming up with a golden ribbon. She pulled her hair back loosely and tied it with the well-used ribbon, effectively keeping her hair from blowing into her face. Then she clasped her hands above her head and stretched, trying unsuccessfully to stifle the accompanying yawn. When she was done, she grabbed the bottles and stood, seeing Sesshomaru stand in her peripheral vision. She smiled, more to herself than to him, and turned to walk back to their temporary camp.

Sesshomaru stood with her, pretending to believe he'd had a decent reason for watching her stretch; for having another unwanted reaction as her back had arched and her muscles had tensed before relaxing. He had only just begun to fall into step behind her when she paused, intending to allow him to walk ahead of her, and placed her hand on the trunk of a tree. A moment after the contact, she squeaked and pulled her hand away from the tree; a small sticker was poking out of her palm. Reflexively, he reached out and took her hand, gently pulling the offending sticker out of her skin and, without thinking, pressing his lips to the small red dot protruding out of the spot it had been.

Rin's breath caught again as his skin made contact with hers; and her stomach flipped when his lips were suddenly pressed onto her palm. She had no idea why he was doing this; it wasn't as though the sticker would've injured her, but she didn't particularly care. The 'kiss' was tantalizingly brief, as he released her hand moments after he'd grasped it, but she didn't really care about that, either. It was a definite improvement, and a memory she planned to call upon the next time her brain tried to convince her he didn't care. That was about when she noticed that he'd passsed her, and was waiting for her to catch up. Mentally shaking her head, she smiled and began walking next to him. _He's been allowing me to walk beside him more frequently, lately. I like it; of course, I liked our interaction from a moment ago even better._

-----------

Jaken was awake and pacing when they approached. It took him a moment to register their presence, which Rin found highly amusing, as it was their very absence he was undoubtedly worried over. When he did, he nearly asked where they'd been when he remembered that such a question might get him hurt. Instead he grabbed Ah-Un's reigns and hauled the two-headed dragon to his feet. Rin handed Jaken one container of water, and tucked the other one away with her spare kimono for later. Then she took the reigns from Jaken and waited patiently for them to begin.

Seeing that they were all properly prepared, Sesshomaru turned and began walking once again. He heard his companion's steps fall quickly into line behind him then returned his focus ahead of them. As much of it as he could, at least. He was still largely amazed at his own actions from moments ago. He could still feel and taste her flesh against his lips. And he still didn't know _why_ he'd done that. _Instincts. _It made sense, he knew, but why had he reacted _that_ way to the sticker? Usually he ignored such petty injuries. Even Rin ignored them after the initial onset of shock, so why had he kissed her, even if it was only her palm? Again, he could hear the answer echoing in his head. _Instincts. She's mine, and I wanted to assure myself of her well-being in a more physical manner than usual._ But even as he processed this unconscious reasoning, he did his best to ignore and deny it. But that traitorous inner-demon wasn't done yet, he had to try to convince his more dominant side of what he already knew. _Denial doesn't help anyone; watching that obnoxious brother of ours should be proof enough of that; look at all those times he nearly lost his mate. Do you want that heartache? Will you deny yourself this chance; when it may be the best chance that comes along?_ But Sesshomaru stubbornly pushed his more demonic side to the back of his mind and focused on re-checking their surroundings.

-----------

By noon two days later, Jaken and Rin realized where they were headed. They were half-way through Musashi, and smack-dab in the middle of the Forest of Inuyasha. Rin, the braver of the two, asked the question they were both thinking. "Lord Sesshomaru, why are we visiting your brother?" Jaken squeaked and paled just a bit at her bravery.

Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder at her, pausing before he answered. "The snakes will, undoubtedly, try any method they think will anger me into making a rash decision and thereby giving them the tactical advantage. Though it is known far and wide that Inuyasha and I don't share a family bond; it is also known that we have reached an alliance. And he has a young pup, therefore she is a target. As part of this alliance, he deserves to be enlightened."

"I see." Rin replied, nodding in understanding. When she saw Jaken open his mouth to respond she discretely kicked the back of his leg. With a yelp, he completely forgot what he was going to say.

Sesshomaru stopped at the clearing that housed the well and glanced again over his shoulder. "Jaken, stay here with Ah-Un. Rin, come if you wish." And he continued walking. Jaken, ever-obedient, stopped and took the reigns from Rin, knowing she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to see the priestess, Kagome. _I'll never understand how she managed to befriend that woman all those years ago; I suppose it was when she saved us from Inuyasha and Sounga's wrath._

-----------

Sesshomaru paused at the hill overlooking the village to allow Rin to catch up. He'd known she would accompany him, but he'd offered to assure her that she was allowed. It didn't take long for her to catch up to him, and he began his decent of the hill, with her by his side. When they entered the village, a little boy who couldn't have been older than eight promptly crashed into Sesshomaru's legs. Rin did her very best to stifle the giggle that followed as the boy detangled himself and backed up a respectable distance before bowing.

"Sorry, sir!" Then he looked up and Rin realized that he looked a lot like Kohaku had when they'd met, only younger and more outspoken. It didn't take him long to realize that Sesshomaru was a demon. "Tell me, sir, are you a good demon or a bad one? 'Cause if you're a bad one then I'll have to slay you to protect my village; it wouldn't be anything personal."

Sesshomaru's eyebrow rose delicately as he found himself mildly amused at the young pup's self-confidence. Then he noticed a little girl with black and silver hair run up behind the boy. In addition to the silver streaks in her hair, she had silver dog-ears and little fangs; little claws obvious on her fingers. She was wearing a blue fire-rat kimono. Her heritage was obvious.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kohaku, you can't kill a demon. Besides, he has pretty hair, so he can't be dangerous." Then, turning to Sesshomaru and Rin, she smiled good-naturedly and said, "Hiya! I'm Chikara. I'm gonna be head-village person when I grow up, so I know everybody. Who're you lookin' for?"

"Hello, Chikara. We're looking for your father; where is he?"

"Really? Oh, he's at home with Mommy. They were arguing about breakfast when I left; but that's probably over now. He always wants Ramen, and Mommy's always telling him that it's 'not a breakfast food'. Personally, I think that if you want to eat it for breakfast, then it's a breakfast food. But if I argued with Mommy she'd 'ground' me and then Daddy'd make me sit in my room all day. I hate when that happens; it's just sooooo boring! Oh, I'm getting off track. Home's this way, you can follow me, c'mon! Oh, watch me jump! Watch!" Chikara babbled, turing and sprinting 10 feet before jumping clear up to the roof of a hut; only to loose her balance on the next roof and slide off. She also happened to slide right towards Rin, who fell backwards once she'd caught the energetic girl. "Sorry, miss!"

Rin laughed and stood, brushing the dirt off. "It's ok, Chikara. You should be more careful when you jump around like that, though."

"That's what Mommy says; she doesn't like it when I try to roof-hop like Daddy does. She thinks I'm too young; but I'm seven, I'm plenty old enough, right?"

"Well, maybe you should practice with supervision so you can get better, and then you'll be allowed to 'roof-hop'."

Chikara shrugged, "I guess that makes sense. But it's way more fun to make Daddy try to keep up!"

Rin giggled again at the girl, not missing the quick smirk that flashed across Sesshomaru's face at the mental image of the young girl giving her father the 'run-around'.

"Here we are! This is home!" Chikara said suddenly, sprinting towards a large house at the edge of the village. It was surprisingly large for such a small village.

----------

Inuyasha had just managed to pull Kagome away from the villager that had come for a small healing herb, and he was lightly kissing her neck from behind when they were interrupted again. With his nose buried in her neck, he didn't smell the 'intruders', but there was no way anyone with his ears could miss the shriek of their daughter's return.

"Mommy! Daddy! I'm back, and you better not be kissing! Oh, Daddy, you have company! I don't know their names but the tall guy has really pretty hair!" Chikara hollered, bounding through the door.

"'Company'? With 'really pretty hair'? Do you think-?" Kagome began, not sure she'd heard right. Inuyasha's growl was more than enough to assure her that her hearing hadn't failed her yet; though how comforting that was she wasn't sure.

Sighing agitatedly, he turned towards the door separating the entrance-way from their room. Kagome quickly followed him, hoping he remembered that they had an alliance; or at least that his impressionable daughter was in the room. _What could Sesshomaru want? We haven't seen him since shortly after Naraku was defeated. Wait, 'their names', who's he with? Rin or Jaken? Or, someone else? Chi would've mentioned a toad, so that rules out Jaken. Oh well, only one way to find out._ Kagome thought.

-----------

Sesshomaru smirked at his little brother as he and his mate exited their room. He would always enjoy inconvinencing his little brother, no matter their alliance. "Hello, little brother, it has been quite some time, has it not?"

"What the hell d'you want, Sesshomaru? We ain't heard a word from you since that pathetic 'congratulations' you had Rin send, so why the visit?"

"Unfortunately, I come with a warning."

"What sort of warning? You gonna be nice for a day?"

"No, Inuyasha. This is not a conversation for a child's ears. Outside, perhaps?"

"Fine, outside. 'Kara, you stay in here, got it?"

"But, Daddy-"

"Chikara."

"Chi, do what your father says, ok? You can talk with me and Rin." Kagome offered.

"Ok!"

----------

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha walked silently out the door and to the back side of the house so that they were between the forest and the village. Inuyasha, being the more impatient one, broke the silence. "So, what's so important?"

"Have you heard what happened in the south?"

"Word from Koga was somethin' about snakes takin' over and steppin' on a lot of toes."

"Yes, well, the snakes have indeed taken over. I, myself, was unaware of this until recently. The eldest son had strayed from the south and apparently decided that Rin would make a good meal. I slew him, not knowing, or caring, who he was. Now his family has decided to take their anger out on me indirectly. Though I doubt you've cause to worry, there is a small possibility that they'll come after you and your family, as you are my family. I thought it pertinent to tell you."

"Keh. Guess I owe ya one for that, Sesshomaru. Thanks for the heads-up. If you need me to get rid of those damn snakes, just let me know. I could use a good fight, anyway."

"Agreed."

"Anything else?"

"No." Sesshomaru stated, turning to leave when a familiar scent tugged at his attention. Just as he was about to investigate, Inuyasha spoke up, though not to him.

"Oi, Kohaku you ain't supposed to be out here, an' you know it! Get the hell outta that tree, I don't wanna have to go up there after you, squirt!"

The little boy from earlier jumped almost-gracefully out of the tree nearest them. He landed with a thud and overbalanced, falling onto his butt. He rubbed his head self-consciously and grinned. "Hi Uncle Inuyasha! How do you know this demon-guy? Are you related? Oh yeah, and Mom invited you to dinner tonight, too."

"Slow down, pup. Sure we'll come. This is Sesshomaru; he's...my half-brother. What were you doing in that tree?"

"Oh, I was coming to deliver the message, but then I saw you walking out with 'Sesshomaru' so I decided to follow you. What were you talking about?"

"None o' your business. Go home an' tell the monk we'll be there for dinner, ok? And for your mother's sake, stay outta trouble, will ya?"

"Does that mean I can't pick on Rika?"

"No pickin' on your sister, pup. You really wanna bug somebody, go bug your father."

"I can do that! Bye Uncle Inu!" Kohaku said, scrambling to his feet and running off to go pester his father.

----------

While they were outside discussing important things, Kagome and Rin were inside discussing female things. Chikara had gotten bored quickly and begged to go visit Aunt Sango, so Kagome had agreed. After Chikara had left, they'd gotten down to life. Kagome had begun.

"So, how've you been, Rin?"

"I've been alright. We've had some...unusual encounters, but I'm sure that Inuyasha will tell you all about them later. How about you, Kagome?"

"I've been wonderful. Sometimes raising a nearly half-demon daughter with her father's rebellious streak is...difficult, but she's usually fairly controlable."

Rin laughed lightly. "She insisted on showing us how well she could 'roof-hop' on the way here. When she slipped, she said you didn't approve of it."

Kagome shook her head. "I don't mind her jumping around when her father's around to keep an eye on her, but she likes doing it on her own, so she can learn tricks to worry us with. I hope she wasn't to bad on the walk here."

"No, she was rather entertaining. I see you're village priestess now."

"Yes; I have been for nearly six years, actually. Sometimes it bothers Inuyasha, because sometimes it can be rather stressful, but it's not usually bad. Mostly people forget how to properly cook their fish and need an herb to remedy their stomach pains. Every now and then we get attacked by a wayward demon, but they never last long. Most demons stay away; rumor has it they don't want to face the 'half-breed that slew Naraku'. It's better that way, though. What about you? I honestly wasn't sure you still traveled with Sesshomaru, now that you're full-grown."

Rin blushed, though she had nothing to hide. "To be honest, I was not sure how long he would allow me to stay with him. I'm still not, but, he doesn't seem to want me gone yet, and I'm glad for that. I don't know what I'd do if he left me in a village. I wouldn't know how to act; I haven't lived in a village since I was eight, and I was an outcast then for having no family. I'd be one again, for having grown up willingly in the presence of demons. Tell me, Kagome, how old do you think I will be when Lord Sesshomaru finally leaves me to die?"

Kagome gasped at her question, innerly shocked that Rin was so worried about this when she was still so young, but then realizing that it made sense. "I don't know how to answer that, Rin. When I met Sesshomaru he despised all humans; and, to be honest, I think you may still be the only exception to that. I don't know why he's continued to let you travel with him, but I think it's a good sign. I think it's good for the both of you."

Rin nodded, not overly surprised by her answer. It was a very Kagome-like thing to say, after all. Then an idea came to her; but she was hesitant to ask her question. Kagome picked up on her reluctance and smiled reassuringly. _She must be a great mother._ Rin thought absently. "May I ask you something, Kagome?"

"Anything."

"Well, when...when did you know you were in love with Inuyasha? How did you know?" She couldn't meet the older woman's eyes, instead picking at the fabric of her kimono.

Kagome giggled quietly before responding. "Well, we'd been traveling together for nearly a year before I _realized_ that I loved him. He'd decided to go with Kikyo to hell, and I thought I'd never see him again, and I realized that if I allowed myself to stay away from him, I'd die inside. So I returned to him and told him I'd stay beside him for as long as he'd allow it. I still have every intention of keeping that promise, of course. But, truthfully, I think I always knew how I felt. When I think back on it, I think I fell in love with him fairly early in our travels. Possibly even before we'd met Miroku. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just...it's...I think-I think I may be in love with...with Lord Sesshomaru. Please don't tell him! He'd be angry with me, I just know it!" She replied, her face as red as Inuyasha's haori.

Kagome smiled knowingly. _I thought so. But the question is, does Sesshomaru feel the same way? He must, if he's allowed her to stay now that she's older. So, does he realize it? I imagine it would take a lot to get him to admit it to himself. As much as I'd love to see them be able to be together, I don't want Rin to have to be in so much danger. Why can't anything ever be simple with those brothers?_ She sighed to herself and gently grasped Rin's hands. "Don't worry, Rin. Your secret's safe with me. Just promise me one thing: don't lose hope. Anything's possible, even with Sesshomaru. You'll just have to be patient. If you want to know the truth, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru aren't _that_ different. Not with basic things. For example, they're both stubborn and full of pride. Once he gets over his pride, you'll have a chance. Trust me, ok?"

Rin nodded, and a moment later, the aforementioned brothers re-entered the home. Kagome dropped Rin's hands and stood to greet her husband. "So, did you two have a good conversation?"

"We're goin' to Sango's for dinner. She sent Kohaku to tell us." Inuyasha said with a grin. Kagome smiled and nodded in acceptance. "Where's 'Kara?"

"At Sango's playing with Rika." Turning to Sesshomaru, she offered politely, "Would you and Rin like to stay for lunch? We've got plenty of food."

"We shall be continuing on our way. Thank you for your offer, priestess. Remember my words, Inuyasha."

"And you remember mine, Sesshomaru. You get in over your head, let me know."

Sesshomaru nodded and turned. "Come, Rin."

"Coming, my lord. Goodbye, Kagome, Inuyasha. Thank you for your hospitality." Rin said, getting up and exiting behind Sesshomaru.

When they were gone, Inuyasha spoke. "You find out why she still travels with him?"

"I know her reason; she's unaware of his. I have my suspicions, though."

"I know that look; you used to get that look when you tried playin' matchmaker for Sango and Miroku. Don't even think about it." He scolded, pinning her between himself and the wall and licking her jaw line. She gasped in surprise and he smirked, wrapping his arms around her waist. _I'll tell her about the snakes tonight. No reason to ruin her mood so early in the afternoon._

**To Be Continued...**

A/N: Ok, so, there's chapter four. Now, I want to apologize for ch. 3; when I wrote it, I didn't realize it was so short. Hope no one's mad about that. Anywho, I hope you liked this latest chapter; I couldn't resist a little Inuyasha/Kagome in this story somewhere, I'm way too obssessed. What'd ya'll think of Chikara? I'm kinda proud of her, myself, but I'd like to know what others think, too. Ok, well, please stick with me, let's move on to chapter 5, ok? Ok. One thing, though, if you absolutely hate it and find yourself compelled to tell me, could you please do it nicely? I'd appreciate it. Thanks a bunch! Next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Ok, so, here's chapter five! Yippee! Lol, I'm a little too excited about my own story, aren't I? Oh well. Now, I want to say thanks to those of you who've stuck with me so far! I do hope this story doesn't disappoint anyone, though I know it's unrealistic to think it'll satisfy _everyone._ Wouldn't that be nice, though? Well, here's my contribution. Enough from me.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. And I can seriously see where typing this for _every_ chapter irritates people. Oh well.

**Someone to Protect**

Sesshomaru and Rin walked in silence through the village; ignoring the villagers that stopped and stared at them as they passed through. Some flinched in fear, some had to restrain curious children, and others unconsciously let their mouths drop open in shock of a demon walking through their home. A very few, who were obviously warriors, reflexively reached for their swords or bows. Rin cringed at them, hoping they'd realize that Sesshomaru was no threat. They passed a monk and a pregnant woman who nodded and smiled at them politely, and Rin realized with a start that they were Inuyasha and Kagome's former traveling companions, Sango and Miroku. _They look happy. Good._ Rin thought as she waved in return.

--------

Jaken was sitting on the side of the well with Ah-Un eating the grass nearby when they returned. He jumped up instantly and bowed, asking how the meeting had gone. "Good." Was Sesshomaru's entire reply. He then turned and began walking away from the village. Jaken glanced curiously at Rin, who shook her head and shrugged her shoulder's, taking Ah-Un's reigns and following her lord and love. Jaken quickly scurried to catch up and fell into step beside the dragon. They'd both noticed that something which Sesshomaru didn't wish to share had happened between him and his brother. Jaken figured they'd gotten into a fight. Rin wasn't so sure; after all, neither had been even slightly bruised or even glared at each other. She figured it must've been something else.

---------

Sesshomaru himself had no intentions of sharing his conversation with his brother. He'd tried to ignore it the moment it was over, but that wasn't working. His brother had been, as usuall, curious about things that weren't his business. And he'd bothered to offer unwanted, unneeded, advice. "Tell her." He'd said. And he'd said it with a smirk, too. The worst part had been that he'd been tempted, if only for a second, to heed his half-brother's advice. Family life had matured the younger brother more than Sesshomaru had ever imagined he _could_ mature. And the look of love that the mates had shared when they'd spoken together had been unmistakable, even for a so-called 'heartless' demon lord such as himself. What scared him most was the look of envy that he'd seen flash across Rin's face. He was sure she wasn't aware of it herself; and he was equally sure that whatever it was inside of him that'd been stirring lately was not going to help matters any.

-----------

A few more days passed uneventfully, and the group, minus Sesshomaru, was beginning to relax again. Rin'd almost managed to put aside her worry over the snakes, and Jaken clearly hadn't given them any thoughts lately. It was nighttime, and Rin had returned from her bath, to which she'd had to take Ah-Un for security, and she was currently eating her dinner quietly, her mind wandering in many different directions. Sesshomaru had left shortly after her return to take his own bath, leaving her alone with Jaken and her 'pet' dragon. Jaken, of course, wasn't making any attempts at conversation. When she finished her meal, she rolled out her sleeping mat and layed down, closing her eyes. She heard Jaken acknowledge Sesshomaru's return and allowed herself to sleep, knowing her lord would protect her.

_Dream:_

_Rin was walking down to the hotspring, taking a deep breath of the steamy air. She loved hotsprings. They were warm and soothing; she could almost always forget her problems and worries while she bathed. Dropping her expensive kimono, a birthday gift from Sesshomaru, she settled herself into the hot water and closed her eyes, a contented sigh escaping her lips. After a few moments of merely enjoying the relaxing water, she ducked underneath and scrubbed at her scalp, coming up for air, and going back under one more time. She shook her head to be sure that her hair was clean and resurfaced._

_As she was resurfacing, she felt a hand roughly grab her hair and yank her upwards. She opened her mouth to scream, but it was still underwater and therefore her lungs were filled with scalding water. She coughed as her head broke through the surface and she was trying to cough up the unbearable water when she was half-lain over the rock that she'd earlier used as a backrest. She could see a man's shadow looming over her body, and she knew what he intended to do to her. Tears rushed to her eyes as she continued to choke on the water. It no longer burned in her lungs; the fear of this man overwhelming her senses. His hand came up to her throat, keeping her in place as he blatantly observed her naked body. His perverted leer was more than enough to convince her never to bathe without a bodyguard again. Then she noticed his hand moving towards her, but the hand gripping her throat prevented any reaction above a whimper. _

_She shut her eyes, hoping it would help dull the pain of what was about to happen, and causing her tears to spill from her eyes. Her attacker made a gurgling sound and the hand around her throat slackened limply, before it was removed completely and a light 'thud' a small distance away made it fairly obvious that he'd been tossed. She bravely opened her eyes, and relief flooded her as her eyes landed on Sesshomaru's golden ones. She attempted a smile, but wasn't quite able to bring herself to complete it, so instead she mumbled a 'thank you', as it was the best she could manage._

_She moved to stand properly, still in the awkward position that the lone bandit had forced her into, when Sesshomaru was suddenly kneeling beside her and she felt his powerful arms wrap gently around her and lift her off of the rock. She gasped in shock, and her eyes locked with his. Though she was confused, and embarrassed by being naked and in his arms, she couldn't break from his golden gaze. Admitedly, it was his own fault she was in his arms. She wasn't entirely complaining, though. Which embarrased her even more. He smiled marginally, and her breath caught. She loved it when he smiled, even though it almost never happened, and only when something violent was about to happen. Somehow, she sensed this smile was different. _

_While one of his arms tightened it's grip on her waist, his other hand reached up and pushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Then his hand traced the side of her face from temple to chin and she tried her best to supress the shiver it caused, but she failed. Lightly grasping her chin between forefinger and thumb, he tipped her face upwards slightly and before she could process what was happening, his lips were on hers. She froze for a split second, shocked, before her body reacted and she pressed her lips onto his in return. Her arms found their way around his neck and she held on for all she was worth._

_Just as his hand started slowly trailing down her back, along her spine, his tongue danced across her lips. When she opened her mouth to accept him, he pulled her closer towards him and she tightened her grip on him. As the kiss deepened, and she began to believe that Kagome had been right about anything being possible, she heard him growl and he bit her tongue, which had been inside his mouth. Gasping, she pulled back and looked at him, confusion turning to fear as she saw the red seeping into his eyes. Before she could speak, or force back the unbidden tears in her eyes, he tossed her onto the ground roughly and growled again._

_"You dare believe that a demon such as myself coulf feel _anything_ towards a human such as yourself! As you've been a decent ward, I'll offer you the chance to run. Now. Should you deny me, I _will_ dispose of you. You would be nothing but an insult; and you are causing me unnecessary problems. Make your decision." For added emphasis, he flexed his claws and lifted one hand threateningly. He smirked at her cringe of fear._

_"Please, my lord, I did not mean to offend you! I'll never do it again, please just don't abandon me." She begged without thinking. Then she flinched. She knew perfectly well that he considered begging a sign of weakness. And weakness, she knew, was unacceptable._

_"I thought I'd taught you better than that, human. Now you'll never live to insult me, or any other demon, again. Your life is insignificant. I should have disposed of you years ago." He snapped, stalking towards her. She knew better than to crawl away, for it would only irritate him. Instead she shut her eyes, hoping that he would stop. "Open your eyes, human! I want you to see my face as I separate your head from your body." She opened her eyes slowly, not finding it in her to disobey him, even as he was about to slay her. She saw his claws flash, saw the whip form, saw it wrap around her throat, and in desperation, cried out._

_"No! Please, my lord!"_

_End Dream_

"No! Please, my lord!" Rin cried, cringing again from something that Jaken and Sesshomaru were beginning to suspect was Sesshomaru himself before she sucked in a ragged breath and bolted upright, gasping. She obviously hadn't noticed their gazes yet. Jaken, of course, put an end to that.

"Whatever were you dreaming of, Rin? You screamed so loudly that I'm surprised our ears still work. You-"

"Jaken." Sesshomaru snapped, darting a glare at the imp, before returning his attention to Rin. "What did you dream, Rin?" He asked gently. He noticed with irritation that she was still shaking visibly. That wouldn't do, though he'd do nothing about it just yet.

Rin did her best to collect herself, taking deep breaths to steady her breathing. She hadn't even heard Jaken's words; only his voice. Sesshomaru's words, however, had come in loud and clear. Slowly, she turned her head to look at them. When her gaze rested on Sesshomaru, she had to resist the urge to cringe. _It was just a dream! You know perfectly well that he would never actually do that. That's not honorable. If he wanted me dead, I'd be dead already. If he wanted me gone, I'd be gone. I've no reason to fear him. None._ She mentally reasoned with herself. Then she realized that he expected an answer to his question. "N-nothing important, m-my l-lord." She replied, hoping that he'd let it pass just this once. She didn't think she'd be able to tell him about her dream.

Sesshomaru knew she was lying. The dream might not hold significance in the grand sceme of life, but he could tell easily that it really bothered _her_. And he had seen the flash of fear in her eyes when she'd looked at him. Not once, in the 11 years he'd known her, had she ever feared him before. Not even when he'd _tried_ to scare her off. It angered him far more than he liked to admit that she was afraid of him now. And it also solidified his fear that it'd been him who attacked her in her dreams. He didn't like her being afraid of him. True, with the exception of his brother and _his_ comrades, everyone else feared him. Rin had never. And he intended to make sure that she didn't fear him for any longer than absolutely unavoidable, starting now.

Jaken had also noticed the fear. And he'd noticed his lord's anger at this fear, though that was harder to notice. The powerful demon didn't want the human woman fearing him, that much he could tell. Though he couldn't tell why, he knew better than to get in the way, so he mumbled something about getting water and ran off quickly. _I'll give them a little time. Hopefully it won't take long for Lord Sesshomaru to repair whatever that nightmare damaged._

--------

Rin didn't miss Jaken's departure, and it didn't truly surprise her. She'd seen the anger that had flashed across Sesshomaru's face when he registered her fear. She'd looked away quickly enough, but she also knew it wouldn't help. She caught herself hoping that his anger wouldn't be best cured with her death, and quickly shook her head. _Don't be ridiculous! It was a DREAM, Rin! _She thought, trying to clear the image of his deadly grin as the poison whip had wrapped around her throat out of her head.

"Rin." Sesshomaru's voice cut through her thoughts and she looked up at him obligingly. "Tell me about your dream. Why do you fear me?"

Knowing she had to answer him, she decided to simply skip everthing was not absolutely pertinent to her unnecessary fear of her lord. "Y-you attacked me. You said something about m-me being an i-insult, and that I was c-causing you unnecessary problems. Y-you offered me the chance to run, but I-I was unable."

"Do you know why I said these things?"

"N-no, my lord." She dearly hoped he wouldn't ask to many more questions. She also knew that he probably would.

"Can you describe the situation, Rin?" He knew he didn't need to know anything more about her dream; and he already suspected the situation she was avoiding talking about; but he wanted to know more first. Maybe understand why she'd dreamed such a thing. He noticed without surprise that she was blushing quite a bit. He had, after all, smelled her arousal before her scent had shifted to fear and confusion.

"I...I had been bathing, and I was attacked by a bandit. He had his hand around my throat when you arrived, and then the bandit was dead. Then, you...kissed me, and then suddenly you bit me and threw me to the ground. The rest you know. Except, just before I awoke, you...were about to-to-" and though she seemed unable to bring herself to say the words, when her hand found it's way to her throat, he knew.

Sesshomaru nearly growled at himself, even if it was merely a dream. It had to have come from _somewhere_ and he'd allowed her to worry about something enough to dream about him killing her. He could tell she knew that it was just a dream, but he could also tell that her irrational fear was not subsiding. He wasn't sure what he could do to dissipate her fear. But he knew he had to try; she wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise. "Rin, you need to forget your dream. It was just that; a dream. You should know by now that I've no intention of killing you."

She nodded, a stray tear escaping anyway. Her breath caught again when his clawed thumb came up and wiped her tear away. She dragged her eyes to his again, and she could tell that he was trying to reassure her. She smiled shakily. "I know, my lord. I know."

He nodded, and his hand returned to his side as he stood, intending to return to his tree when she spoke hesitantly. "Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Yes, Rin." he said, turining again. He'd barely completed the turn when she wrapped her arms tightly around his chest and buried her face into his kimono; his armor had been removed for comfort while he slept. She sobbed silently, and he slowly lifted his arms to rest on her back. After a minute, she pulled back and smiled; and he noticed that it was no longer forced. She wiped away her remaining tears and said, "I'm sorry. Thank you for that, my lord. Please forgive me."

"You don't need forgiveness, Rin." he replied, and she nodded and returned to her makeshift bed. Shortly afterwards, Jaken returned and made no motion to ask about what had happened in his absence.

----------

The next morning came rather quickly; too quickly for Rin, who'd barely gotten any decent sleep that night. She therefore opted, instead, to ride on Ah-Un's back for a while and take a small nap. She'd seen Jaken open his mouth to comment on her laziness before shutting it when he saw the look Sesshomaru shot him. She smiled appreciatively and closed her eyes.

Sesshomaru ignored Jaken once he was certain that the imp had gotten the hint and would leave Rin alone for a while. He'd wake her for lunch if she hadn't awoken by then. Sleeping too long, after all, would mess up her sleep come nightfall. He knew Jaken was confused as to why he was making a big deal out of her current emotional ordeal, and he had every intention to keep the small demon in the dark as to his reasons for as long as he could. Explaining the reason he'd only barely accepted on a subconscious level would begin a conversation he wasn't ready for. Not that he'd admit to not being ready for anything. Besides, he still didn't completely believe the reason himself.

----------

Lunch came and went rather smoothly; Rin had woken up an hour before Jaken had gone fishing and taken Ah-Un with her as she'd headed off to pick berries. She only got a small handful, as Jaken was the only one who ate them for lunch. She preferred them for dinner, and Sesshomaru rarely, if ever, ate them. After lunch, they'd resumed walking through the forest that they'd entered while she slept. She was fascinated by the beauty of the area; the trees were all tall and healthy; the grass was greener than the grass she was used to; the flowers were beautiful and full of diversity. She even found herself reminiscing about her younger days when she would've gone skipping ahead of them and picking flowers. Then she remembered the time she'd made both Jaken and Sesshomaru their own crown of flowers.

_It seems like a lifetime ago, now. The days when we were looking for Naraku. When I didn't fully understand the danger he posed. Maybe one day, when we've nothing better to do, I'll go skipping through the flowers again, just for old-times sake; I don't think Lord Sesshomaru would appreciate that, though. Oh well._ Rin thought, smiling to herself. She shook her head and turned her eyes forward, at least attempting to pay attention to where they were going. Though she knew she had no idea.

---------

The sun was beginning to set on another day, and Jaken had scampered off to get the food for dinner. He'd said something about wanting a rabbit, instead of fish, so he was supposedly off hunting. Rin tried not to laugh at the image; he'd undoubtedly roast it alive and it would probably taste horrible, but she'd eat it anyway. That was just Jaken's way. Wanting to feel helpful, she stood and grabbed Ah-Un's reigns as she said: "I'll go get the firewood, my lord." With that, she turned and led the dragon off to gather firewood.

She quickly discovered that their current location didn't have much in the way of burnable logs. A few twigs wouldn't be enough to sustain a decent fire, so she traveled a bit farther. Rin smiled as she saw the type of wood she was looking for, and she released Ah-Un so she could begin collecting it. The dragon stood patiently behind her, surveying the scene curiously. She had an armful of wood of various sizes when Ah-Un began to growl. She froze, not entirely accustomed to the sound. After collecting herself, she turned to ask him what the problem was, hoping he'd be able to nod in the direction of the threat when she heard hissing.

She dropped her load of wood instantly and backed away from the sound, suddenly reminded that there was a reason she'd had to take Ah-Un. "Ah-Un, help." She whispered, even as the snakes appeared in front of them. _There's two! No, three! Oh, Ah-Un, please be able to defeat them!_ She thought, trying to stay calm. The dragon dutifully stepped forward, his muzzle removed, and began blasting at the offending creatures. She sighed, taking a deep breath to steady her heart. Ah-Un may've been outnumbered, but she was confident he'd still win.

She'd found a tree to rest against while she relaxed a bit and let Ah-Un fight when she heard something abover her. As she turned her head up to see what made the noise, a tail wrapped around her and covered her mouth, effectively preventing a scream. She still tried, though, and the sound was loud enough for the dragon to hear. He turned a head towards her, his other head finishing off the remaining snake, just in time to see her disappear into the foliage. He moved to follow her scent when he realized that it, too, had vanished. Snorting angrily, the dragon lifted off and flew to Sesshomaru.

----------

Sesshomaru had been resting when his sensitive nose detected Ah-Un's return. He was about to file the information away when he realized that Ah-Un was returning alone. He was on his feet before the dragon had landed. Though Ah-Un couldn't speak, he knew the question, and shook his head with another snort. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Take me to where you lost sight of her." Sesshomaru jumped onto the dragon's back and allowed himself to be escorted to Rin's last known location.

--------

Sesshomaru frowned when the stench of snakes rushed into his nose. He traced her scent to the tree she'd been abducted under, but, just as he'd feared, her scent stopped cold half-way up. He growled low in his throat and his fists clenched involuntarily, his claws nearly digging into his palms. For a brief moment his eyes flashed red and he had to consciously focus on restraining his true form. He reminded himself that he knew where they'd taken her, and though it didn't _calm_ him, it helped him gain control. _They will regret abducting my Rin. If she is harmed, I'll slay their entire breed. The 'royal' family is already dead, though they may not know it. I _will_ find them, and they _will_ pay with their lives. She is mine, and they need to learn that lesson._

He reluctantly returned to where Jaken was to meet them, and fortunately for the imp, he didn't have to wait long. Jaken appeared moments behind his lord and nearly jumped out of his skin when his name escaped Sesshomaru's lips. "Jaken. Forget dinner, we're heading to the south."

"W-why, m'lord? And, where's R-oh. Have they...taken her?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes." Sesshomaru growled, again clenching his fists as he suddenly lifted off of the ground, floating on a cloud. Jaken squeaked beneath him and hurriedly mounted Ah-Un as the dragon lifted off to follow the demon lord.

_Oh dear. Those fool snakes in the south have finally pushed their luck too far. Lord Sesshomaru will surely have all their heads in no time. What were they thinking, kidnapping Rin? If they know anything about my lord, they'd know that those who threaten her have never lived to tell the tale. Unless-could it be a trap! I must warn Lord Sesshomaru immediately!_ Jaken thought, opening his mouth. "My lord, please beware, it could be a trap!"

"I am well aware of that possibility, Jaken." Sesshomaru snapped

"Of course, m'lord." Jaken squeaked, cowering behind the two-headed dragon's long necks. _He hasn't been this angry in years! I need to keep my mouth shut before I get myself killed!_

----------

The snake that had kidnapped Rin was nearly home, and he couldn't have been more proud of his latest 'catch'. He knew his brother, Reikoku, would be jealous. And he'd be handsomely rewarded, too. He licked his fangs, envisioning a delicious feast of guinea pigs and rats. He glanced down at the girl he currently held in his arms; he'd knocked her out after she'd refused to quit struggling, and now that she was unconscious, she wasn't unpleasant. Maybe, when this was over, he'd get to eat _her_. _At least a leg, with any luck._ He thought.

After another hour of traveling, he was home. He'd taken a short-cut that he was positive the dog-demon she traveled with didn't know about. Lord of the Western Lands he might be, he didn't know many short-cuts outside of his territory. Being a snake, he, himself, learned these pathways early. The snakes guarding the entryway moved aside as their prince slithered past and headed straight for his parent's. _I'll be their favorite son by dinner time._

--------

As he entered the room, he dropped her unceremoniously onto the ground and she moaned in her sleep. Then he cleared his throat to get their attention. "Mother, Father, I've brought you the human that got Doku killed. I'm certain that Sesshomaru will be following to retrieve her. This is our chance to slay the Lord of the West and claim his territory as well."

The Lord of the Southern Lands raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's quite a capture you've got, Dokueki. You've done well, my son."

"Indeed he has, Uroko. We shall celebrate tonight with a feast in your honor, Dokueki. With your help, we'll be one step closer to attaining power over all of Japan!" The Lady of the South, Hebi, declared, throwing her scaly hands into the air.

"Guard, take our 'guest' to a cell. I want her to live long enough to lure Sesshomaru here. Once he is in our grasp, we'll kill her in front of him. I'll enjoy watching his reaction. And after he spent so many years denying his father's influence on him!" Uroko announced, as the guard slithered in and took Rin away.

---------

That evening, the family of snakes did, indeed, gather for a special feast. The younger twin, Dokueki, was bragging to his elder brother about his catch. Reikoku made sure to compliment him on his success, even as his jealousy over being upstaged by his younger brother set in. He had trouble finding it fair that the youngest in the family was able to achieve this goal so easily; and that he was receiving such praise over it, when he'd left without permission. But he vowed to be the one to slay Sesshomaru, and therefore forever surpass his siblings and maybe, one day, over throw his parents after they'd over taken the rest of Japan. Afterall, power was everything, and family was obsolete once you were old enough to support yourself. This was a lesson that Reikoku had learned young, and it seemed Dokueki and their elder sister, Suberiyasui, had yet to learn it. That was their problem. But his plans had to wait; Sesshomaru wasn't expected for a couple more days still, afterall. And that left plenty of time to defile the human woman. With a small shake of his head, Reikoku returned his focus to the celebration, as there was, indeed, plenty to celebrate.

**To Be Continued...**

A/N: Ok, I want to apologize if the end of this chapter seems a bit...rough. I wanted to make sure I gave the right impression for the family; aren't they all so close? Lol. Anyway, I know this chapter's a bit shorter, but, I didn't want to force it to be longer and thereby make it worse. Forgive me. And keep reading!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hi people! Guess what? This is chapter six! Yea! Ahem, ok, so, anyway...yeah. Sorry again for the ending of last chapter; hopefully it didn't bother you as much as it bothered me. Um, so, if you couldn't tell, the 'climax' is coming up. I do so hope it meets any (and all?) expectations; prob'ly won't, but I'm trying! Anyway, guess I could stop babbling. Onward!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Sometimes, when I dream, I'm Kagome...does that count? In reality, though, he belongs to Rumiko Takahashi; oh well.

**Someone to Protect**

Rin awoke slowly the next morning, her mind foggy and eyes unfocused. _How long was I asleep? Why's it still dark? I don't even remember eating-the snake in the tree! He...he must have kidnapped me! _Rin thought, gasping as the realization dawned on her. She blinked her eyes furiously for a few seconds to get them to focus, and couldn't supress the shudder at what she saw.

She was in the middle of an old, well-used, cell. It even had stone walls and a steel cage for an entryway. And it smelled; horribly. It was obvious that it hadn't been cleaned after it's last occupant had been removed...and something told her that they hadn't walked out. There was no futon for sleeping; only a small, dirty, formerly-white blanket. A blanket filled with holes, no less. These snakes obviously didn't care what condition their prisoners were forced to live in. Quickly realizing that it was the far left corner which smelt worst, she moved to the opposite corner and curled up, knees to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around them. Resting her chin on her knees, she watched the cage entrance intently, hoping to see...something. Preferably her lord; but movement of any kind would have been comforting; unless it was a snake.

When she realized that she wasn't going to get any company for a while, which she'd decided was better than one of her captors, she sighed and shut her eyes. _Oh, Lord Sesshomaru, please save me! I do not wish to stay in this cell a moment longer than necessary; I don't want to meet these 'Snakes of the South', especially not trapped in their home. Please, hurry, my lord! Please. _She thought, before she ceased her internall begging. _It won't help. For one thing, he can't hear me. For another, he hates begging. It's weak, remember? Sure, I'm allowed every now and then; but begging in my head when he's _nowhere_ nearby is not going to be one of those times. What else can I think of? Perhaps I'll ask to visit the mansion when this is over; rest a little. 'Rest', ha, that's funny, Rin. You can't rest there, the other demons don't like you. Why did I have to be born human? Why isn't there a sword to make me a demon? Then maybe Lord Sesshomaru-stop that Rin! Ugh, ok, maybe I'll ask to visit Kagome? No, we were just there a couple of weeks ago; Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't want to have to put up with Inuyasha again so soon. But, what else? Nothing, I suppose. Please hurry, Lord Sesshomaru._ She thought, sighing in resignation.

-----------

"Brother," Suberiyasui, current heir to the Southern Lands, addressed Dokueki, "aren't you going to check on you prize? After all, she's probably awake by now. Even _humans_ don't sleep _that_ long."

Dokueki shook his head. "I wasn't planning on it. Why would I want to spend time with a _human_? They're entire existence is pointless, after all. I'll check up on her before dinner, maybe. How often d'you suppose I'd have to feed her, anyway?"

His sister laughed, her head thrown back and her pale green, waist-length hair bobbled with her laughter. "I imagine that she'll need to eat at least once a day. Though, if she's a typical _human_ creature, she won't eat it at first. She'll probably think we're trying to poison her or something. Like we'd kidnap her just to have her die in her sleep; the thought processes of those..._things_, it's ridiculous! I mean, if we wanted-"

"Su, you're getting ahead of yourself again. You already answered my question; I don't care whether or not she eats every meal I offer her; it's her own health that'd go down hill. Besides, you know how suspicious _humans_ are. Thanks anyway." Dokueki interrupted, turning and walking away. As he proceeded down the hall, he reverted to his true form, as it was more comfortable. He passed Reikoku in the hall, and they nodded briefly at each other.

"How's the human?" Reikoku asked in passing.

"Don't know; long as she's not dead, I don't much care." Dokueki replied before turning the corner.

_Stupid boy. You should care; the worse off she is health wise; or, better yet, mentally, the better it'll be when Sesshomaru gets here. You should torture her, starve her, beat her without seriously injuring her. Make sure that, somehow, your scent lingers on her, even after death. I hear dog-demons are especially sensitive to those things. It'll eat at that canine better than any punishment we can inflict. Fortunately for him, he won't have to suffer it too long. I'll kill him once I believe he's suffered enough. He may think he's involunerable, but even 'the Great Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands' has a weakness; and my brother was fortunate enough to capture it. It seems that all dog-demons lately have weaknesses for humans. Perhaps it's an inherited trait..._Reikoku though arrogantly.

------------

Jaken was getting more worried by the second. They'd been traveling, non-stop, for nearly 12 hours. Ah-Un was beggining to get tired, and Sesshomaru refused to stop. Eventually, the dragon wouldn't be able to continue without food and rest; and Jaken was also hungry. He was sure that Sesshomaru was tired of flying, and could use a meal, but as dense as he often was didn't mean Jaken didn't realize that if he suggested stopping for a rest and a meal that he'd be slain. And probably not revived. Sighing to himself, he resigned himself to waiting until they eventually fell behind. At least then they'd be able to eat. On the upside, he wouldn't have to be there to witness what Sesshomaru would do to the snakes.

Sesshomaru knew they couldn't travel much farther without pausing to rest and eat. He despised the idea of stopping to _sleep_ and _eat_ while Rin was in danger, but he knew that it was, ultimately, unavoidable. If he neglected his own needs, he'd be in no shape to rescue her and make her captors pay properly. Fortunately, he also knew that they wouldn't kill her until they thought they no longer needed her; and that wouldn't happen until he got there. So, for now, she was safe, at least from death. Though he wasn't so sure that was a good thing, he decided to stop at sunset. Much as he loathed it.

----------

Sunset came too quickly for Sesshomaru's tastes; and not nearly soon enough for Jaken and Ah-Un. Sesshomaru spoke just as the sun began to sink beyond the horizon, startling Jaken so much that he nearly fell off of Ah-Un. "We're going to rest for the evening. When we land, Jaken, you will find food for yourself and Ah-Un. I shall feed myself. When the sun rises in the morning, we'll continue on our way. Is that understood, Jaken?"

"Ay, m'lord!" Jaken replied quickly; even he could tell that Sesshomaru's mood had only worsened. Sesshomaru landed without a word, and, just as promised, immediately left to find himself something to eat. Jaken jumped off of Ah-Un and led him into the woods to find food and water. He tried hard not to think about anything else.

----------

Sesshomaru had killed his prey quickly and it was nearly cooked by the time Jaken returned with his own dinner of fish. Ah-Un fell instantly asleep, and Jaken joined him shortly after he'd eaten. Sesshomaru sat quietly and watched the fire for a few hours, unable to bring himself to relax enough to sleep. He was worried; and worse, he had a well-known weakness. Anyone who knew anything about him these days knew that he traveled with a human girl. Those who knew just a bit more knew that he protected her. Those who knew him well knew that he'd do just about anything for her; and that she was his weakness. Those, a fortunately small group, who knew him better than he'd ever like knew _why_ all these things were true. Why he'd die for a _human woman_. It was the same reason his father had died for Inuyasha's mother. The same reason Inuyasha himself would die for Kagome. And it had only dawned on him, Sesshomaru, sometime in the past few hours.

_I love her. I am in love with Rin. That is why I protect her; why I continue to allow her to travel with us. And why I was bothered by Inuyasha's words. Because he was right. I do love her, and I should tell her. But, what then? I suppose I won't know until I tell her the truth. Until then, I cannot afford to dwell on this. I must focus on _saving_ her. Once she is safe, I'll tell her. _Sesshomaru paused, taking a deep, slow, breath and taking the time to identify all the different scents. _At our rate of travel, we should arrive at our destination in just under two days. So, in two days, I shall make them pay for any and all damage they have done to my Rin. But first, I must allow myself to sleep, or I will not be able to defeat them._ As his thoughts trailed off, he slowly drifted off to sleep, ignoring Jaken's snores.

-----------

The sun rose too soon for Jaken's tastes, and he was about to roll over and try to get more sleep when he remembered why he was so tired. Rin had been kidnapped. Instantly he jumped to his feet, clutching to his staff, his eyes darting around to assure himself that he hadn't been left behind. He relaxed a bit when he saw Ah-Un getting to his feet and shaking his heads to wake himself up properly. Sesshomaru was waiting with practiced patience. Or, in this case, feigned patience. When Jaken moved to climb on to the two-headed dragon's back, he lifted into the air on his personal cloud. Ah-Un followed quickly, forcing Jaken to cling to his saddle desperately for a few minutes untiil he was able to right himself. This was going to be another long day.

----------

Rin cringed at the offensive sound of metal scraping the stone floor. She heard footsteps heading steadily in her direction moments after the other sound stopped. She quickly moved back into what she'd taken to calling 'her' corner. She waited, arms wrapped around her knees and eyes trained on the 'door' to her prison. She saw their shadow before she saw them. It was the snake that had kidnapped her. He sneered at her and glanced down to the untouched plate of food still exactly where he'd left it.

"So, you weren't hungry, hm?" Dokueki asked, scooping up the dish and tossing the food onto the floor. Cleanliness was clearly not a priority for him.

She glared at him, not responding to his teasing. He hissed under his breath when she refused to reply, just as she'd done last night when he'd delivered her food.

"You'll have to eat eventually; hopefully I'll feed you when you get hungry. If you want to waste away in here, well, that's your choice, really. I won't be happy if I have to force-feed you, though. Just keep that in mind, _human_." and he left.

Rin felt the burning sensation behind her eyes as tears threatened to spill. She'd been fighting the urge to cry since she'd awoken that first time. She'd barely gotten any sleep since she'd been there. She was tired, hungry, scared, and worried for her lord. She knew why she was still alive. She was bait. They knew as well as she did that he'd come for her; and they were planning a trap. As certain as she was that he knew it, too, she still worried. _He may be extremely powerful; he may know that they'll be preparing for him, but he's still unaware of their actual plan. As am I. Oh, my lord, please be careful. As much as I wish to be free of this hell, I don't want to escape at the cost of your life. I would die if he was slain; especially while trying to rescue _me. She thought as the tears fell silently down her face.

---------

Dokueki was leaving to gather himself a lunch when Reikoku approached him. "What is it, brother?" he asked curiously. His twin eyed him for a moment before responding.

"So, did she eat?"

"No, of course not. She'll probably only eat a little tonight. If she eats any. Why?"

"Curiousity. Tell me, Dokueki, would you mind if I were to pay her a visit? You know, _introduce_ myself."

"Why would I? She's just bait; she needs to be alive, not the picture of health. Long as you don't kill her, I don't see the harm. Go for it. Have fun beating on a human, Reikoku." Dokueki said as he left.

"Indeed I shall." Reikoku said, more to himself, as he turned and headed inside. He smirked when he imagined her quivering in fear, bleeding and bruised as a result of their encounter. _This should be fun._

---------

Rin had wiped the tears away, refusing to cry where they could see or smell it. She had no idea how long she'd be stuck there, and she was determined to avoid giving them the satisfaction of seeing her cry, or even knowing that she _had_ cried. If she could help it, anyway.

Her eyes had drifted shut due to exhaustion and boredom. She was exhausted from fear and worry; not to mention lack of sleep. She was bored because, captive though she was, there was still nothing to do. Just as she had begun to drift off to sleep, she heard the noise again. Metal scraping stone. It was followed, as always, by footsteps. She set her face, forcing it to be as blank as Sesshomaru's usually was. The person, or snake, rather, that she saw, was not the one she was expecting. He looked similar, but it was very obvious, even in the dim lighting, that it wasn't him.

"So, you are Rin? The human woman that travels with that dog, Sesshomaru?" the stranger asked with a sneer.

She remained silent, allowing herself to glare at the demon. He, apparently, didn't like her glares either.

"Silent type, are you? Well, that's fine. That just means it'll be more work to make you scream in pain. How does that sound?" He paused, wondering if she'd respond. When she didn't, he transformed into a smaller version of his true form and slid between the bars. Once he was in, he returned to his 'human' form. He noticed with satisfaction that although her eyes betrayed nothing, her scent was spilling everything. She was afraid, and that was exactly what he wanted. "Allow me to introduce myself, then. My name, though you needn't remember it, is Reikoku. Now we're even."

Rin stopped breathing as the pale-haired snake demon with beady black eyes knelt down so as to look her straight in the eyes. She had to resist a cringe when he grabbed her by the collar of her kimono and yanked her to her feet. But he didn't stop there, he raised her until she was a good half-a-foot off the floor. And then his tongue slithered out and traced her jaw line from ear to chin. That time, she did cringe. He grinned.

"It's only natural to fear those more powerful than yourself. Especially when you're at their mercy, as you are at mine. Before I leave here, it will hurt for you to so much as flinch. Unfortunately, I cannot kill you. Yet." Reikoku threatened, smirking. Then, suddenly, he slammed her against the stone wall. Hard. The air in her lungs rushed out and she screwed her eyes shut tightly, no longer caring if he knew she was afraid, so long as she didn't cry in front of him.

"Well, woman, where should I throw you next? Though I don't suppose I've actually _thrown_ you anywhere yet." And then he threw her into the cage and watched with sickening satisfaction as she slid to the floor, barely conscious. He took the two steps towards her and knelt in front of her again, slapping her to wake her up. "Wake up, filthy wretch, I want you conscious for what I'm going to do to you."

Rin's response was not something Sesshomaru would have been overly proud of. The symbol of not submitting would be approved, but that was where it would end. She shook her head and spit the small amount of blood that had formed in her mouth into his face. This, of course, amused Reikoku.

"Ah, so you do have a spirit. Good. That'll make this all the more entertaining." he hissed in her ear before he picked her up and slammed her, again, into the wall. Then he hauled back and smacked her, causing her to fall over. "Will you beg me to stop? If you did, I might listen. Well, will you?"

Rin glared in response before hitting him with all her strength. She knew it would only anger him, but she was raised not to give up. If she just let him toss her around, it would be surrender. And that wasn't how she'd learned to live. Of course, that time, he got angry.

Reikoku was surprised, to say the least, when she hit him. She didn't smack him, as most human women tend to do; she actually _hit_ him. With her fist. She'd obviously been taught that a fist was more effective. Unfortunately for her, he was a demon, and no human was strong enough to damage him. Though he knew he couldn't kill her just yet. Instead, he opted for an old-fashioned beating.

---------

When Reikoku left, she was as he'd intended. Battered and bruised. She had a black eye forming and many other bruises along her back and arms and stomach, probably even her chest. After all, he'd hit her just about everywhere that'd leave a mark. She had a few cuts on her exposed flesh that had still been bleeding when he'd left. They'd probably stop before dinner. And then, maybe, in a couple of days, he'd repeat her lesson. Assuming Sesshomaru hadn't come by then.

---------

Rin was slumped against the side wall of her prison, barely conscious and in too much pain to cry. She wimpered a bit, and then cringed from the pain that caused. Which, in turn, caused more pain. 'Reikoku' had been right. She was in too much pain to flinch. Sure, she'd fought back, but it hadn't done anything. It hadn't even made her feel good. She was pathetic. She couldn't fight off a snake demon who was intent on beating the daylights out of her. _I don't want Lord Sesshomaru to see me like this. But, if I recover before he gets here, I'll just get beaten again. I can't win. Oh, Lord Sesshomaru, please help me!_

------------

The sun was setting on the second day after their rest. They'd only rested once since, but fortunately it wasn't that long ago. Jaken was wondering how much longer it would take them to reach the southern mansion when Sesshomaru spoke. "We're here, Jaken. Prepare yourself."

"Right away, my lord!" he squeaked, clutching his staff tighter and hoping they weren't too late.

-------

Sesshomaru nearly growled when he saw the mansion. There were only a couple of guards at the entrance; they obviously weren't expecting Sesshomaru until later. Probably tomorrow or the next day. With a graceful leap, he was off the cloud and had severed the heads of both guards with his poison whip. He landed silently and didn't wait for Jaken and Ah-Un. They would either keep up or get caught in their own fight.

He quickly ran down the hallway, following the scent of the demon that had captured Rin. He was nearby; along with four other snakes. _Most likely his family. How fortuitous. It's time they learned an important lesson._ Without another thought, he flicked his wrist and the door separating them fell apart. He heard, with satisfaction, the surprised scuffle on the other side of the doorway as they scrambled away from the destroyed door. Their hissing reached his ears before the door had even hit the floor, and it only served to irritate him.

When the dust had settled, and the snakes had nearly recovered from their shock at their guest, he made sure to lock eyes with each one of them, and finally his gaze settled on Dokueki. He slowly raised his left arm and pointed blatantly at the snake demon. "You are the demon which kidnapped Rin, are you not?"

"I am. Does that bother you, _Sesshomaru_?" Dokueki replied with a hiss.

"My son did only what was expected of him. You have tresspassed on my property; I do not appreciate that. For this, you will be slain." 'Lady' Hebi stated coldly. Moments after her statement, three snake guards lunged at him. A moment later, they were all dead. As the guards' bodies fell limply to the floor, the twins made their move.

Dokueki lunged first, fully transformed, and he managed to latch his fangs onto Sesshomaru's arm. Sesshomaru growled low and grabbed hold of the boy with his other hand, poison dripping from his claws. The younger twin yelped in pain and backed away, his left shoulder steaming.

Reikoku, the more cunning of the twins, wrapped Sesshomaru in his coils, effectively preventing an attack from his poisonous claws. He hissed into the dog-demon's ear; "Don't worry, I won't allow you to die until you see just what I've done that _human wretch_ you travel with. And I'll make you watch as I devour her _piece by piece_. Then I'll kill you and we'll take over your lands just as we did with the south."

"That is what you think." Sesshomaru replied, refusing to rise to their bait. If this snake really did wish to _lead_ him to Rin, he had no intentions to stop him. Though not slaying him right then and there was difficult, as he could faintly detect the scent of Rin's blood.

"Don't be absurd, Reikoku! If you take him to her, he'll free her. Slay the damn dog and get it over with, my son! Then tonight we'll feast on his human friend!" Their father, Uroko, hissed angrily. Reikoku nearly sighed in resignation.

"Fine, father. It seems your time's up, Sesshomaru!" Reikoku declared, baring his large fangs and preparing to deliver the 'killing' blow.

Sesshomaru, of course, had no intentions of becoming the main course of their dinner. As Reikoku reared back to bite him, Sesshomaru began to glow. This confused the snake; and his confusion only doubled when his fangs bit into thin air. At that moment, he realized that Sesshomaru was no longer trapped within his coils. Reikoku's head snapped up when he heard his brother hissing in agony.

Sesshomaru, who'd turned himself temporarily into a ball of light, had reappeared behind Dokueki and, without hesitation, shoved his right hand through the offending snake. Dokueki's scream was more of an elongated hiss of agony as his blood slowly flowed out of the gaping hole in his chest.

Dokueki spun around as quickly as he was able in his wounded state, intent on slaying the dog that may well have just slain him, but Sesshomaru was no longer behind him when he'd turned. Turning again, he saw Sesshomaru once again engaging Reikoku. Reikoku, as always, was doing better than he had in his fight against their newest enemy. Dokueki moved to aid his twin, but the poison Sesshomaru had released into his system was too painful to allow him to focus on anything else. With another cry of pain, he collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest. "Damn you, Sesshomaru! I hope...Reikoku...removes your head...and then, I hope...your wench...dies...slowly." he ground out, trying to push some of the poison out of his system.

Reikoku was strong, and fast, as were all good warriors. But he was only as strong, and fast, as a snake could be. He'd gotten entangled around Sesshomaru once by luck, but was having no such luck a second time. Every time he lunged at the dog-demon, he moves were countered. He lunged again, intending to trip him up with his tail while his fangs distracted Sesshomaru. Unfortunately for him, Sesshomaru was anticipating a distraction. When Reikoku lunged, Sesshomaru lunged, too. With two swipes of his deadly claws, Reikoku was forced to back off, as he was severely wounded.

Having watched his sons' battle with the 'great' demon lord, Uroko was enraged. Partly at them, for allowing Sesshomaru to best them, and partly at himself, for not destroying Sesshomaru immediately, instead of allowing his sons to toy with him. "That's enough fun and games for one night, wouldn't you agree, Sesshomaru?" Uroko stated, stepping forward and resting his hand on his sword-hilt. He waited for Sesshomaru to face him before continuing. When he'd turned fully around, Uroko continued. "My sons are a bit too young, it seems, to know how to fight such a _seasoned_ demon lord. I, on the other hand, have been around for many centuries, and know how to fight, even slay, a demon such as yourself."

"Do you?" Sesshomaru replied, sounding almost bored. He knew that Uroko was overconfident; he always had been.

Uroko sneered, transforming into his true form. His true form was much larger than his sons', though this didn't surprise Sesshomaru. Uroko let out something between a hiss and a roar, and then he was flying across the small room at the regal dog demon.

Sesshomaru, having anticipated this attack, moved swiftly out of reach of his opponent's fangs and waited while the snake turned to face him again. When Uroko hissed, Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes dangerously and reflexively flexed his claws. With a snap, his deadly poison whip was arching through the air. He allowed himself to smirk as he saw Uroko see the attack, and both knew it was unavoidable.

Uroko spun as soon as he landed, looking for his speedy opponent. He hissed when he spotted Sesshomaru, but he failed to notice the significance of his claw-flexing until it was too late. His eyes widened to twice their natural size when he saw the whip, and he turned his head away to lessen the inevitable blow. He cringed and slithered back until his back was against the wall when it hit and the pain seared through him. True, it wasn't near enough to cause him to lose the fight, but it still hurt quite a bit. After a moment, he was able to glide away from the wall and face the Lord of the Western Lands with his head up. "Is that all you've got, Sesshomaru?" He taunted, flexing his own claws.

"I've had just about enough of you and your family, Uroko. Normally, I would offer you the opportunity to surrender, but I'm well aware that you would never consider such an option, and, quite personally, I do not feel like extending such a curtisy towards you. It is time that I put an end to your 'reign' over these lands; and make you pay for abducting Rin."

"Of course it is, _oh great one_. Sadly, no _dog_ will ever defeat me, or my family. You may be a worthy opponent, however you are bound by a certain code of honor; we are not. That, Sesshomaru, is why we'll be able to defeat you, Ubenomaru of the East, and Koga of the North. That having been said, it is time I killed you." Uroko stated, his fangs dripping with venom as he lunged.

"That is where you are wrong." Sesshomaru said calmly.

**To Be Continued...**

A/N: Ok, yes, this is my pathetic attempt at a cliffhanger. I just thought that it'd be incredibly fun to cut it off in the middle of the fight and make you wait a little while before I updated it! I know, that's evil, but I've read so many stories where other authors do that, so I thought I'd take my turn. HA! Ahem, anyway, I do hope you liked this chapter. Maybe you'll even review? Please? Ok, enough of that. Now you must be patient, and I'll update soon! Bye!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm _baaaacckkk_! Ahem, ok, so I've always wanted to say that. I hope nobody's mad at me for making them wait this long (ok, so I don't know how long I've made you wait, 'cause I've typed this entire story already and am just posting it in pieces. I know, that's mean.) So, does anyone want me to keep babbling? I didn't think so. Onwards!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I fantasize, but nothing ever comes of it. Oh, and I realized that I've forgotten to claim those I _do_ own, so, here's the list (as of this chapter): Chikara (IY & Kag.'s daughter), Kohaku (Sango/Miroku's son) and Rika (their daughter), Ubenomaru and Taka (Lord/Lady of East), the entire snake family (Hebi, Uroko, Dokueki, Reikoku, Suberiyasui, and Doku), and the original Lord/Lady of the South Morumotto and Nezumi. There, what a long disclaimer.

**Someone to Protect**

As Uroko literally flew towards Sesshomaru, he realized, too late, his mistake. Sesshomaru very calmly pulled his Tokijin from his sheath and waited for Uroko to fly into it. He even allowed himself a small smirk at the frightening simplicity of it. Uroko let out a frightened hiss as he flew into the blade of the demonic sword.

With a simple flicker of his wrist, Sesshomaru had managed to slice Uroko neatly in half. He watched in satisfaction as the overconfident snake demon disintegrated before him. The anguished cry of his family caused him to look over at the other snakes. The two males were injured and seething at what had just happened to their father. The women were sobbing and glaring simultaneously, most likely hoping their glares would frighten him. Flicking his sword to remove the blood that stained it, he asked monotonously, "Do you wish to continue this fight? Or will you plead for your lives and hope I heed my upbringing?"

"How dare you? You've slain my mate, and you deem yourself _worthy _to _mock_ my family! I shall devour you _and_ your human in honor of my fallen mate!" Hebi hissed as she pulled herself to her full height and moved to step forward.

"No, Mother! Dokueki and I shall fight him, and he will pay for what he's done to father! Come, brother, let us slay this filth that has so disgraced us!" Reikoku declared, stepping in front of his mother and sister. His twin followed his lead obediently, eager to slay their father's murderer.

Sesshomaru almost found it amusing. _They_ commit the original sin, and then get indignent when he retaliates. Had the situation been different, he may have smiled at the audacity of it. Still, it didn't really matter. The twins were already injured, and though he'd seen demons fight well with such wounds, he didn't hold a very high opinion of these snakes. _They're no more than vermin in my way. And this fight has gone on long enough; Rin is waiting. _With that thought, he tightened his grip on Tokijin and lunged to meet his adversaries. It was obvious neither were expecting this move.

As he neared his targets, they prepared for his assault. Of course, that didn't change the fact that, especially injured as they were, they didn't stand a chance. Reikoku braced himself; he'd seen what that sword was capable of, and he'd heard rumors of it's power, so he had no intentions of sitting back and _letting_ it destroy him. Dokueki was a bit more naive of Tokijin's true threat; and, he was more greatly injured than his elder twin. Therefore he wasn't swift enough to dodge it.

At the last possible second, Reikoku shrunk his size and slithered out of the way of the mighty sword. He didn't bat an eye at his brother's death. He heard his mother and sister hiss again, and knew Dokueki had, indeed, been slain, just as their father had. Then he heard Sesshomaru land. "Clever manuver, Snake. However, do you truly believe that it will aid you in the long run?"

Returning to his full size, Reikoku turned around. "It doesn't need to; you'll be slain before the sun rises." He threatened before gliding towards Sesshomaru and swiping at him.

Sesshomaru, of course, was faster than Reikoku. The first swipe missed entirely, the second barely grazed his shoulder and he paid it no mind; it would heal quickly enough. Spinning quickly, he slashed once with Tokijin and watched as another snake fell, lifeless, to the ground before disintegrating just as the other two had done. Then he turned to face the mother and daughter.

"You will not take another from me! Die, you wretched dog!" Hebi shouted, flinging herself at him with no concern for her own well-being. She clearly thought that she could at least take him down with her.

"Have you learned nothing from watching this battle?" Sesshomaru asked rhetorically; he didn't actually care, anyway. Bracing himself for her impact, he noticed the daughter move to launch after her mother and try to double-team him. Since it was too late for him to dodge the assualt, he let it connect. The force of both their bodies drove him backwards a few feet, but not before the mother, Hebi, had nearly impaled herself on his sword.

"Mother! Do not let this-this _dog_ destroy us! You cannot die as Father and my brothers did!" Suberiyasui shrieked as her mother fell, not quite dead, to the ground and gasped for breath.

"I am not going to live much longer, Su, but you _must_ find a way to avenge us! It is your duty as a member of this family!" Hebi choked, spitting blood onto the floor and clutching her chest in pain.

"You need not worry, Mother. He _will_ be slain; that I promise you!" Then, turning to Sesshomaru, she continued. "Sesshomaru! You've slain my family, but _I_ shall be the one to slay you! Do you hear me!"

"I hear you. But you are mistaken. Do you truly believe that you can slay me, where your father and brothers could not?" He replied, watching as her mother finally died with one final hiss of agony. He looked up at the daughter, noticing that the scent of salt in the air was coming from her. She was crying over a family that probably wouldn't have cried over her.

"I will kill you, even if it kills me."

"That was your mother's policy, as well." Sesshomaru said coldly. His comment had the desired reaction; Suberiyasui screamed wildly and launched herself at him, just as her _entire_ family had done before they'd died.

Sesshomaru had been perfectly prepared for her assualt and wasn't even remotely worried about it, as he could tell that she wasn't a threat of any kind. What he hadn't anticipated was _how_ she'd died. Half-way through her flight, she became engulfed in flame and let out an ear-splitting shriek as she burned to death. Her scream was replaced with a familiar, screechy, voice.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Thank goodness we finally caught up with you! Have you found Rin yet, m'lord?" Jaken asked, immediately regretting that question, realizing Rin was no where to be seen. He stepped back involuntarily as his lord turned and sheathed Tokijin.

"No, Jaken. I want you to leave this region at once; go outside of the borders of the South, I shall find you after I have found Rin. Do I make myself clear?"

"Ay, m'lord!"

"Good." Sesshomaru said, heading down what remained of the hallway. _That took entirely too long. Where is Rin?_

------

Jaken sighed as Sesshomaru walked away once again. "Well, that could've gone worse. Come along, Ah-Un, we have our orders. It's time to go." _Good luck, m'lord. I do hope Rin's ok._ Jaken thought, grabbing hold of Ah-Un's reins and leading him outside. He barely noticed the dragon's initial resistance, prefering to go after Rin. Ah-Un eventually surrendered to the imp and followed him out.

--------

Rin had been half-sleeping in her corner when she'd first heard sounds of a quarrel from above her. The noise had startled her out of her slumber instantly and she focused on it, trying to determine if it would be a threat to her, as well. Of course, she had no way of knowing exactly what was happening above her; the snakes had made many enemies, after all. It could, realistically, be any one of them. And if it was _not_ her lord, she would surely be left to starve in the underground cells. _Oh, please don't let that happen. I know I'm only human, but the other lords know me; surely they would not abandon me! However, they would not necessarily check these cells; and more likely than not, a servant or warrior would check, and _they_ may not care about my health. Oh, what is going on up there? Hnf, there goes dinner, Rin. Not that I would've eaten much, anyway._ She thought wryly, sighing and returning her focus on her surroundings. It wouldn't do to be drifting way like that in a situation like this.

She was just beginning to relax a bit, seeing as the noise abover her had ceased a few minutes ago. It had sure sounded like a battle up there, but she had no way of knowing for sure. Just as she was allowing her eyes to drift shut again, she heard the noise. Metal scraping stone; but slowly this time. As if the new-comer was being cautious. When the noise finally stopped, she tensed herself, wondering whose light footsteps she was hearing. Then she saw the silhouette of his shadow, and a small voice in the back of her head insisted that she knew that shadow. Though she didn't dare allow herself to hope, her breath caught in anticipation none-the-less. _Could it be-?_

---------

Sesshomaru had wandered the entire rest of the palace without a trace of Rin. Her scent had been strongest in a back hallway, he'd noticed, though it had been wrapped around that of one of the snakes he'd just slain. _The very same snake who claimed to have tortured her, I believe. That would lead me to believe that she is this way._ He thought, turning down the hallway and was almost immediately greeted by a stone staircase. Preparing himself for the worst, he began his decent downwards.

When he reached the end of the stairs, there was a small landing and then a steel-barred door blocked his advancement. After being certain that no one was around to try to attack him, he grabbed hold of the bar nearest him and slowly slid it backwards, nearly cringing at the offensive sound the action created. Once the door had slid all the way open, he proceeded forward. There was a row of cells, about three on the side he could see and who-knew how many around the corner. He could tell easily that Rin was not on this side, so he made to turn the corner. He heard a small, slightly pained, intake of breath as he began to turn it. _Rin. I've found her, but she is, indeed, injured._ And though he was glad he'd found her, and that she was alive, he was angered at her pain. He also knew that it would only get worse when he actually _saw_ her, but he would have to worry about that later.

--------

Rin saw the shadow round the corner, and just as she could clearly make out Sesshomaru's tail, she saw him. Or, rather, his silhouette; it was too dark to see _him_. If she'd had any doubts, his voice destroyed them instantly, and she no longer cared for her bloodied appearance; she was safe. He was there, and she'd be home soon.

"Rin." Was all he could say just yet. Though most of her blood was dry and the room hadn't been cleaned in _ages_, he could smell her blood without a problem. He could see, with his advanced sight, the bruises and cuts and the bags under eyes. She wasn't well, but that wouldn't last. He refocused as she made to stand on shaky legs. She was obviously weak from her recent attack, as she quickly lost her balance and had to lean into the wall.

"I'm sorry, my lord. It seems...I'm...still in...pain. Forgive me." She mumbled, barely audible to human ears, as she blinked to clear her vision.

"I've told you before; do not apologize. Now stay there, I shall assist you." He said, deftly slicing the rusted bars into pieces and tossing them into another cell. With the cage out of his way, he crossed the small 'room' in two strides and was by her side. She cringed unwillingly as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "When I get you outside, I will want to take a proper look at these wounds, Rin."

"I...understand." She replied, surrendering to herself and collapsing against him. She expected to be allowed a moment to catch her rest, and then to be partially carried up the stairs. She was, therefore, a bit surprised when one of his arms encircled her shoulders and the other one slipped behind her knees a moment before she was being carried out of the dungeon. "Th-thank you...my lord..." she said as her voice trailed, indicating that she'd fallen asleep.

-------

Sesshomaru looked down at the now-sleeping woman in his arms. She was injured; though, fortunately, not fatally. And she was exhausted. Obviously her exhaustion had caught up with her now that she knew she was safe. Which he had no doubt she knew. When he hit the hallway above the staircase, he increased his speed until he was hardly visible and then, suddenly, he was outside and a fair distance from the palace. Slowing down again, he took a deep breath and turned northwest to follow Jaken's scent. _Once we've cleaned her up a bit, I'll find us a decent place to rest for a while to allow her to recuperate._

----------

Jaken and Ah-Un had collected some logs for a fire, and Jaken had just started it, when Sesshomaru arrived with Rin in his arms. He landed silently from above them, and the two-headed dragon rose to his feet, and the imp snapped to attention. His large eyes widened considerably when he realized that Rin was not in good health. "Oh dear." he mumbled.

"Gather some healing herbs, Jaken. And something of substance for her to eat when she awakens."

"Right away, m'lord!" Jaken squeaked, scrambling to do his master's bidding while he was still being civil. _I'd better watch what I say tonight; one slip-up and I'm as good as dead!_ He thought, searching for the herbs. It was then that he noticed that Ah-Un had not come with him. _Oh well; he's probably more concerned over Rin. I do hope he'll keep a distance, though. Lord Sesshomaru's bound to be a bit..._testy_ right now._

-------

Sesshomaru gently laid Rin down on a patch of healthy grass, noting the dragon's presence in the background. Carefully, he reached down and gently moved a stray strand of her raven colored hair out of her face. He noticed her head incline ever-so-slightly towards his clawed hand as it grazed her face. He had to fight the smile that threatened to show at this simple, subconscious gesture. Though he knew he _should_ begin cleaning her cuts as soon as possible, he was unwilling to leave her alone (even with Ah-Un) to go get the water to clean them with. Therefore, he decided to wait for Jaken and make _him _go get the water.

--------

Jaken returned a little bit later, having anticipated his lord's orders, he'd gone to the nearest creek and refilled his canteen with fresh water. When he walked up, he tried not to balk at the sight of his powerful lord kneeling beside a sleeping _mortal_ woman with an almost _sad_ look in his eyes. Not that it was on his face, of course; that never happened.

Clearing his throat, Jaken spoke. "Um, m'lord. I have the herbs and dinner you've requested; I also took the liberty to gather some fresh water for cleaning."

"Thank you, Jaken. Do not begin cooking the rabbit until I have cleaned her wounds. I shall summon you when it is time for your assistance." Sesshomaru replied, not actually looking at his servant.

Jaken hesitated, not sure he'd understood what he was supposed to do. "What is it you'd like for me to do _now_ my lord?"

"Take Ah-Un and secure the surrounding area, then find yourself something to eat. I should be ready for you when you return."

"Very well, come Ah-Un." Jaken instructed, leading the reluctant dragon away from their chosen camp.

-------

Sesshomaru knew Jaken would be suspicious as to why he'd been sent away for Rin's cleaning, but he no longer cared. Rin came first and Jaken would eventually have to learn that, anyway. If he hadn't already. _I am becoming my father. Isn't that ironic?_ He thought sardonically, before clearing his mind of all unnecessary thoughts.

Taking one of three cloths that he'd removed from Rin's travel bag, he poured the cold water onto it and moved to begin with the more obvious cuts on her arms and legs. She had three on one arm, four on the other, and five or six on each leg; possibly more. Not to mention a few on her face, neck, and most likely chest-area. Some, he discovered, were far worse than they'd seemed, and many were just surface scratches, intended to inflict pain without causing massive, or even minimal, blood loss. Every now and then, when he'd begin cleaning one that was particularly painful, she would groan and try to roll away from the pain.

------

When he was done with her arms and legs, and the larger wounds were bandaged, he moved to her face and neck. He'd saved these because he knew it would probably wake her. He was careful, of course, as he didn't particularly want to wake her; but you can't be _that_ careful when pressing a cold, wet, cloth to an open wound on someone's forehead. As he did this, she cringed and groaned before her eyes slowly drifted open. He met her sleepy, unfocused, gaze with his own and she tried to smile, but then cringed from the effort.

"Relax, Rin. You will most likely be in pain for a few days. But you are safe, and you will heal."

"I know." She whispered, her eyes smiling for her.

"Hush now." He scolded lightly, continuing to wipe the blood from her forehead. When that was done, he moved on to her other face wounds while she watched as best she could from her position. He tried to ignore both of their reactions when he began lightly dabbing at the small cut on her lower lip. She parted her lips slightly to allow him better access to the cut, and that simple action gave him urges he'd never had before in his rather long life. He, of course, ignored them. Or, rather, pushed them aside to save for a later date. When she _wasn't_ injured.

-------

Eventually, she was as healed as she was going to be for the time being. Most of her cuts had been small and insignificant, though some had been rather deep and unhealthy; Sesshomaru had bandaged those. He'd even handled her bruises fairly well; at least when compared with what he _wanted_ to do. Rin hadn't seen his reaction to them; he'd stiffled the territorial growl that had risen deep inside his chest when he'd seen half of the bruise that covered a large space on her chest. He was, however, a bit more calm now that she was cleaned up and no longer bleeding or cringing at everything. He knew she was still in pain, but it wasn't quite so bad anymore. It was a step in the right direction.

After she'd been cleaned and bandaged, she slowly sat up and took a deep breath. She knew what was coming next, but first she had a question of her own. "Did-did you slay them all, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Yes, Rin."

She was silent at first, then, finally, she mumbled "Good." just loud enough for Sesshomaru to hear it. Then it came.

"Rin, tell me what, exactly, happened before I arrived."

"Okay." Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the story, hoping to get it over with.

-------

Jaken arrived with Ah-Un shortly after Rin had finished her tale. When they got there, she was trying to hold back her tears, obviously hoping no one would notice. Sesshomaru stood and placed a clawed hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "It is alright, Rin. You must be hungry; Jaken, prepare her dinner."

"Ay, m'lord." Jaken said, moving to cook the rabbit.

They waited in silence while Jaken cooked; Rin crying silently and Sesshomaru standing behind her with one hand on her shoulder, his thumb rubbing comforting circles over her skin. Jaken was intentionally pretending not to notice this, knowing any comment would get him slain. When dinner was ready, he handed it over to Rin, who'd managed to stop crying.

"Dinner, Rin. I hope you like it."

Rin smiled, her eyes still teary, "Thank you, Master Jaken. It smells delicious." she replied, and then she began eating, grateful for the good food and even better company. She smiled between bites as Sesshomaru sat down beside her on the grass and ate the food Jaken offered him. He wasn't near in the mood to hunt just then.

After dinner, Rin again thanked Jaken and then asked Sesshomaru if she could head to the hot springs and wash off the dirt that she'd accumulated in the underground cell. She could tell that he was reluctant to let her go, but agreed, after demanding she take Ah-Un, knowing she'd been planning to, anyway. Part of him, the part he was still intent to ignore for the moment, wanted him to follow her. Go with her. He, of course, did not. Rin returned later, clean and changed with Ah-Un following behind her. Sesshomaru made no secret of watching her prepare for sleep. He nodded at her when she'd looked over at him and smiled before laying down to rest for the night. "Good night, my lord." Her heard her whisper as she drifted off. Only then did he allow himself the same luxury.

------------

A week later, they were safely within the Western Lands. Rin's wounds had mostly healed; only two remained, but they were no longer bandaged and wouldn't last much longer. No demon's had attacked them while they'd traveled, and now that they were on Sesshomaru's land, they were as safe as they could be. It was mid-afternoon and Rin had wandered into a field of flowers to indulge in her former self and begun picking some flowers. Fortunately, she refrained from stringing them together. Instead, she was only picking one or two and admiring them. Jaken had stopped a bit ahead, waiting beside Ah-Un under the shade of a tree. Sesshomaru, however, walked over to her.

Kneeling down in front of her, he allowed himself, just this once, to act on impulse. He lightly placed his hand over hers and waited until she'd locked eyes with him. Then, never breaking eye contact, he gently pulled them from her grasp and placed them behind her ear, brushing her hair out of the way. He then allowed his knuckles to graze her jawbone before standing and turning abruptly, saying nothing.

Rin sat there for a minute after he'd walked away, barely resisting the urge to place her fingers on her jaw where he'd touched it. He'd been acting a bit odd lately, a good odd, but odd none-the-less. _What's going on? I don't understand; he's never been so-so..._caring_ before. What am I missing?_ She thought, standing and moving to catch up with them. _I don't suppose I'll ever find out; not unless he tells me. I suppose I'd better stop thinking about it._

-------

_Why, exactly, did I allow myself to do that? Now is not the time to lose control of myself; I must not indulge in such small urges, for it only increases the larger ones. Perhaps I should talk to her...perhaps. _He thought, taking his place at the head of their group. He could still feel her skin against his knuckles; so smooth; so...perfect. _Rin. What have you done to me? I used to think humans repulsive; then I took you in and you've slowly changed my opinion. At least of some. _But he knew he shouldn't dwell on that just yet; he had a little more ground he wanted to cover before nightfall. He was still undecided about whether he wanted to spend any time in his own land; it wasn't like he could really call it home, after all.

---------

A couple of hours later, Sesshomaru had found them a suitable place to rest for the evening. It was near a creek that was alive with fish and broke off, one side forming a small hot spring. It also had a nice spot in between four trees that was just large enough for a campfire and the four of them to sleep comfortably. Once he'd settled on this spot, he instructed Jaken to go fishing and Rin volunteered to gather the firewood. This was what she always did, but lately, it hadn't seemed right; not to Sesshomaru, anyway. As a compromise, he decided to go with her. She agreed, of course, and they set off to find wood.

-----

Rin was leading the way, silently wondering why he'd decided to join her; hunting for firewood was beneath someone of his status and power. That said, she found herself enjoying his company, even if he wasn't speaking. _Still, why is he doing this? He already declared the area safe, and I am much better than I was a week ago. Perhaps...I should ask him. Would that be inappropriate? Probably. But, still..._ Her thoughts trailed as she bent to pick up two good logs for their fire. As she moved to shift them so she could comfortably carry them, he stepped forward and held out his hands to take them from her. Curiousity getting the best of her, she asked the question.

"Forgive my curiousity, my lord, but, why are you helping me gather wood? I have been doing this since I was young, surely you do not think I'm incapable?" Her eyes dropped shamefully to look at her feet as she finished her question, and she was about to tell him to ignore her words when his free hand gently tipped her chin up until she was looking directly into his beautiful golden eyes. "So-" She began, but his thumb was pressing against her lips, preventing her from apologizing.

"I am assisting you in gathering firewood because I feel that, even though I cannot sense any demons nearby, I will only worry about your well being if I had stayed behind. While I realize that I will not always be able to avoid such worry, this particular situation was easily rectified. I know you are completely capable of gathering adequate firewood; I am simply insisting on helping this time." He explained, removing his thumb, but not his hand. He could still see the confusion in her eyes, as she obviously didn't fully comprehend why he was so worried. After all, he hadn't explained _that_.

"I appreciate your help, Lord Sesshomaru. However, I still do not understand something. _Why_ are you worried about me so? It seems...unusual."

"I have my reasons, Rin. I am simply not quite certain, at this moment, how to express them adequately. You will have to wait a bit longer before I am able to answer that question." He didn't particularly like that answer, even if it was every bit the truth. That was probably the reason he disliked it so much; it was an inadequate answer. He could see in her eyes that his answer had surprised her, seeing as how it wasn't like Sesshomaru to not know how to express himself. Or even _care_ how he expressed himself.

"I...understand. Thank you for your honesty, my lord." She replied, turning to gather more wood as he released her chin from his clawed grasp.

**To Be Concluded...**

A/N: Guess what? There's only one chapter left! Isn't that sad? Lol. I hope I didn't over-do it this chapter. I really wanted an 8th chapter, y'know? So I felt the need to stretch it out a bit. Hopefully it turned out ok. You'd tell me (nicely) if it didn't, right? Hope so. Anywho, I hope you liked this chapter (and all the others, obviously). Haven't decided yet how long you'll have to wait for chapter 8; if I'm in a good mood, I might post it simultaneously with this one. Maybe. Maybe not. Well, enough of me! Review and read on! See ya soon!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: THE LAST CHAPTER! Are you as excited as I am? I realize this story isn't that long compared to most chapter stories out there, but this is a HUGE accomplishment for me, so I'm very proud of it. I really hope you all like the ending (I'm not always great with endings). I sort of doubt it'll feel rushed, but, you never know. Oh, and, Sesshomaru will probably be OOC, 'cause that's about the only way he would ever say 'I love you'. Hope it's not too bad. Anyway, enough of my babbling, read on! Please?

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I listed all the characters I _do_ own last chapter, and I don't feel like repeating it. If I did own Inuyasha, this would be how the series ended. Probably. Or maybe even the 'spin-off' series. Y'know, 'Sesshomaru' instead of 'Inuyasha'. Ok, I know, pathetic. Onwards!

**Someone to Protect**

It had been another week since their conversation in the forest, and Rin had gotten no closer to discovering why Sesshomaru had been acting so strangely lately. He'd accompanied her nearly every night since that night when she went for firewood, and even Jaken had begun showing signs of having noticed the behavior. She suspected he didn't know any more than she did, which meant she couldn't ask him. Something told her that whatever it was would severely alter their lifestyle. She could only pray that he wasn't preparing to abandon her. She'd all but decided that if that _did_ happen, she'd simply move to Inuyasha's village, and thereby be assured to see Sesshomaru at least once more before she died of that cursed mortal disease: old age.

It was late afternoon, the sun would be setting in about an hour. Which meant that, assuming nothing out of the ordinary happened, they'd settle down for the night in two or three hours. That was just how they did things. Jaken and Rin were both lost in their own thoughts, not paying a whole lot of attention to their surroundings, when Sesshomaru stopped. Jaken, who'd been walking in front of her, barely stopped before running into his lord; Rin, therefore, tripped over him and _did_ fall into their lord. After Jaken had scrambled out from under her, he began squawking.

"Watch where you're walking, Rin! You tripped over me, and _into _Lord Sesshomaru for goodness' sakes! You absolutely _must_ pay more attention, you stupid human!"

Righting herself quickly and bowing politely, she said, "I'm sorry, my lord! It was my fault, Master Jaken is right. I really should've been paying more attention!"

"Silence, Rin. Jaken, you cannot scold Rin for doing exactly what you were doing. Do I make myself clear?" At their nods of agreement, he continued. "We are stopping here for the evening. Jaken, make a place for the fire and begin dinner. Rin, come with me."

"Coming, Lord Sesshomaru." She said, falling into place behind him as Jaken called out.

"Am I supposed to find dinner _and_ firewood? Isn't the firewood Rin's job?"

"Not tonight, Jaken. You have your instructions."

"Yes, m'lord!"

------

Sesshomaru said nothing more as they walked through a thick line of trees. Rin was bursting with curiosity and slight apprehension. _What if he's going to send me away? UGH! I don't know why I worry about such things; he wouldn't go out of his way to rescue someone he was only planning to abandon me _two weeks_ later. Alright, so, what's going on, then?_ She snapped out of her thoughts as they cleared the trees and entered a meadow that was framed with trees on one side and a small creek on the other. The field was full of beautiful flowers and the sun was just barely beginning to set; they had a perfect view. She watched in silent fascination as he moved to the center and sat down, legs crossed, arms folded. Glancing over his shoulder at where she still stood, he said, "Come, Rin. Sit beside me."

Snapping herself out of her trance, she moved gracefully towards him and sat on his right, legs out to her side. Glancing over at him, she saw him watching the sunset, so she turned her head and watched it, too. It was the most beautiful sunset she'd ever seen in all her nearly 20 years. She couldn't help but feel that it was a good omen about whatever it was Sesshomaru obviously wanted to talk to her about. These thoughts, and the sight in front of her, caused her to smile subconsciously.

-----

Sesshomaru watched her out of the corners of his eyes as she watched the sunset. He didn't honestly know why he'd decided to bring her there to watch it; they could've watched it from just about anywhere. Not that it mattered. He had to tell her, and this was the perfect opportunity. When he saw her smile, and the happiness in her eyes, he decided to wait until after the sun had set. It would only take a couple of minutes, after all. Shifting his attention back to the sky, he allowed himself to appreciate it's beauty as well.

------

Once the sun had set, he returned his focus to matters at hand. Shifting only slightly, he faced the human woman who'd become so important to him. Of course, she wasn't quite sure of just _how_ important she was yet. That was what he intended to change this evening. _It is time to get this over with. To tell her how I feel._ Taking a deep breath, his sensitive nose was greeted with her scent and he smiled just a bit, something telling him that this wouldn't go badly. Not unless he chickened out, as his half-brother had done numerous times many years ago.

"I have something of great importance that you need to know, Rin. What happens afterwards will be entirely up to you." He knew it was an unnecessary statement, but he felt he should start as gently as he could. He waited silently for her reply.

"Very well, my lord. I am listening." Rin replied, not overly sure of how to handle the second part of his statement. She only hoped that her reaction to whatever-it-was that he had to tell her wouldn't be too embarrassing. She smiled sweetly, signaling that she was ready to hear it.

Sesshomaru paused, trying to find the proper way to articulate his feelings. This wasn't a problem he was used to having; after all, he was Sesshomaru. He always knew how to say what he wanted, and when to say it. Except now. _Then just get it done with. Terrific, in my state of confusion I have begun to sound like my half-wit half-brother. Excellent._ He thought sarcastically, before clearing his thoughts again. Finally, he spoke.

"Rin, as you may or may not know, quite a lot of my life has changed in recent years. As I am certain Jaken has told you on numerous occasions, before I resurrected you, I loathed all humans. I blamed them for my father's demise; along with Inuyasha." When she nodded, he continued. "Recently, however, many of these same opinions have...changed. I was reluctant at first to accept these changes; for I did not know what to make of them. Over the last month, I have finally figured out _why_ I am changing. You have allowed me to see that my blind hatred of humans as a species was wrong. That, ultimately, humans and demons are not all that different; they have the same basic needs, as do all living creatures. I may never have realized this had I not met you." He paused to prepare himself for the final statement, and Rin mistakenly thought that he was finished, so she did the proper thing.

"Thank you for such a compliment, my lord."

He allowed a small smile to grace his elagant features at this. "I was not quite done, Rin, though you are welcome." Her blush amused him and she mumbled an apology before allowing him to continue. With an almost unnoticable inhale, he finally stopped beating around the bush. "Rin, what I have been trying to find a way to tell you for a few weeks now is...I am in love with you."

Rin's head snapped up so fast he almost expected her to scream 'spider!', but when her gaze locked with his, he knew that she was merely shocked at his words. He allowed his walls to fall, for the first time in years, and therefore granted her access to his hidden emotions. After a moment, she clearly found what she was searching for, and let his words fully sink in. Her resulting smile was far too big, too happy, to be suppresed. Her body tensed as though she were containing herself, and she said, very quietly, "I am in love with you, as well, my lord."

Reaching out, Sesshomaru gently cupped the side of her face in his clawed hand as he spoke. "Now I have but one more request of you. Would you permit me to take you as my mate?" He resisted the urge to smile at her intake of breath. The two concepts obviously hadn't connected in her mind yet. Her response came much quicker than he'd thought it would.

"Without hesitation, my lord." She looked away after she'd spoken, something clearly still eating at her. It didn't take him too long to figure out what; he'd expected as much.

"Rin, are you forgetting the connection between a demon and his mate?" At her questioning look, he continued. "You will live as long as I do, just as Kagome will live as long as Inuyasha." He saw the look of understanding dawn on her face and her smile returned instantly. Then he remembered something else. "Also, as of this moment, you will no longer need to refer to me as 'lord' unless you wish to do so. We will be equals; Lord and Lady of the Western Lands. That, you shall have to get used to. Can you do that?" He teased, smirking just a bit.

"I believe so, Sesshomaru." She replied, smiling more. He found he liked how easily she'd dropped the 'lord' from her speech.

"Good." He replied.

Rin got up wordlessly and took one step forward before plopping softly down in Sesshomaru's lap. As she rested her head on his right shoulder, she prayed she didn't blush too hard for the audacity of her actions. Inside, she was greatly embarrassed at what she'd just done, but she also figured he wouldn't really mind; they were alone and he'd just asked her to mate with him, after all. _We'll have to be a lot closer than this if we're going to follow through with that, anyway. Oh dear, this may take some getting used to after all!_ She thought, sighing lightly and burying her face into his long, fluffy tail.

She started when she felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her closer. Shifting slightly, she wound her arms around his torso in response. None of this, however, prepared her for the sensations that raced through her when his lips lightly brushed over her forehead. She let out a small gasp as an unfamiliar tingling sensation shot through her, literally from head to toe. Leaning back slightly, she moved her arms from around him to place them on his upper arms, and locked eyes with him. After a moment, they simultaneously leaned in towards each other and their eyes drifted shut a fraction of a second before their lips touched for the first time.

Though it was her first kiss, she didn't feel inexperienced. She kept her arms on his shoulders, more to remind herself of the spikes on his armor, while his tightened around her waist. After a few moments, Sesshomaru's tongue traced a thin line on her bottom lip and she reacted instinctively. When their tongues met, new, even stronger, sensations rushed through her and she moaned, leaning a bit more into him, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

She could feel the growl that began as a rumble in his chest when her tongue began lightly tracing his fangs, so she did it again. By now one of his hands had wandered up to support the back of her head, and hers had grasped onto the base of his neck, completely covered by his long, silky hair. The kiss continued like this for a while longer, before they finally had to part to breathe. They stared at each other in silence for a few minutes while they caught their breath. Sesshomaru, of course, caught his first.

"So, will we...get to do that often?" Rin asked mischieviously, twirling a strand of his silver hair around her fingers delicately.

"As often as you like, Beloved." He responded, realizing that their dinner was probably getting cold, as it was getting late. However, he didn't fail to notice her small smile of pleasure upon hearing her new nickname.

"I like that." Then she paused and her look got serious. "Is something the matter, Sesshomaru?"

"I believe we're late for dinner, Rin. It is time to go."

"Oh, ok. Um, how will we explain this to Ma-Jaken?" She asked, quickly correcting her slip-up.

"If he hasn't already guessed why I've asked you here, I shall explain it to him while you bathe."

"Ok then. Let's go, I'm hungry." She encouraged, moving to stand before being scooped up when Sesshomaru stood. He then placed her gently back on her feet, and they returned to their camp.

---------

It was nearly two weeks later, and, after a four-day stop-over at Sesshomaru's family mansion, they were once again traveling the countryside. Two nights prior, Sesshomaru had proudly informed Rin that in a few months time they'd have to return to the mansion and live there for at least a couple of years, and they could decide whether to travel again afterwards. When she'd asked why, he'd explained that she was pregnant and wouldn't be able to travel long distances after a few months. She was so thrilled about being a mother that it didn't occur to her until the next morning that he may not like the idea of fathering a half-demon child. Sesshomaru had, of course, quickly dispelled that notion, saying that that was one of the things that had changed (gradually) about him over the years. Now, they were on their way to the Forest of Inuyasha, to give their only living family the good news.

---------

The next afternoon, they reached their destination. Jaken had opted to stay behind for this particular excursion, so they didn't have to worry about making him stay by the well. They paused just outside of the village. Rin looked up at Sesshomaru, who met her gaze silently.

"It's now or never."

"Indeed. This should be...interesting."

"That's one word for it." Rin joked, following him as he entered the village. They received only a few stares from the villagers as they walked by; most, apparently, remembered them.

------

Just over half-way to Inuyasha and Kagome's home, they heard a young, familiar, voice. "_Pllleeeeaaassseee_ Momma? Dad'd let me do it!"

"Which is _exactly_ why I won't. Your father hasn't been known for making the best decisions in his lifetime."

"He married you, didn't he?"

"Our son has a point, Sango, dear."

"Do you want me to smack you?"

"Kohaku, your mother's right. The answer is no, now stop--begging." Miroku's voice trailed off as the happy family four - soon to be five, based on the size of Sango's stomach - recognized the demon and human directly ahead of them. Kohaku, apparently, recognized them, as well.

"Hey! I remember you two! You were here a couple of months ago, right? Hi!"

"Kohaku, mind your manners!" Sango scolded before turning to face their 'guests'. "I'm sorry; he's young. How can we help you? Is anything the matter?"

"No, we're looking for my brother once again. Is he here?"

"Yes, he should be. We were just there, so he couldn't be too far, anyway." She looked down upon feeling a tug on her kimono, finding her 4 year old daughter looking up at her with big eyes. "Yes, Rika?"

"Carry me, Mommy?"

Sango chuckled quietly and bent to pick up her youngest. "Ok, Sweetheart." Then she returned to her interrupted conversation. "I don't know if you've already met, but this is Rika. She's a bit more shy than her brother."

"Hello, Rika. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rin, and this is Sesshomaru." Rin introduced, smiling sweetly at the little brunette. "You have beautiful eyes." She added; she truly loved the child's big blue eyes that so obviously came from her father.

"Thanks. It's nice to meet you, too." Rika said shyly, looking down when she finished. After a couple more minutes of conversation, the two groups parted and continued on their separate ways.

-------

Inuyasha let out long breath as he leaned back against the wall of their 'living room' - as Kagome called it. A moment later, from the back room where they kept most of their stuff, Kagome let out a happy shriek that roused his curiosity, so he stood and headed back to see what was going on.

"Alright, what the heck's goin' on here?"

"We're having a 'tickle-war', Daddy! I think I'm winning!" Chikara cheered, releasing her mother from her 'torture'.

"Chi, honey, it's time to go play with your father, ok?" Kagome offered, knowing it would get her off the hook.

"Hey!" Inuyasha protested as his energetic daughter jumped at him. With a quick side-step, he managed to avoid her tackle and catch her by the back of her kimono. "Maybe you should go torture Shippo, instead, 'Kara. Bet that pup won't even see you coming. What d'ya say?"

"I'm allowed to go play with Uncle Shippo? Ok!" Chikara agreed, landing gracefully when her father released her and running quickly down the hall.

"She gets all her energy from you, I hope you know." Kagome chided teasingly, standing and brushing off her skirt. Her statement caused a cocky grin to form on his face.

"Yeah, well, you asked for it." At her look of mock anger at his words, he added, "Twice, it seems." That stopped her in her tracks.

"'Twice'?"

"Yep. Twice." He replied, resting his clawed hands on her hips and kissing the tip of her nose. He stayed silent for a moment while the meaning of 'twice' sunk in.

"So, I'm-?" She was cut off by a shout from the main part of the house.

"Mommy, Daddy, Unlce Sesshomaru's back!"

-----

Kagome followed Inuyasha into the main room just in time to see Chikara make her escape, leaving the adults alone. _Clever girl. I wonder why they're here this time, though. More trouble with the snakes, maybe? And why in the world is Inuyasha _grinning_, of all things?_ Kagome thought, glancing sideways at her husband, confused at the obviously full-of-himself grin that had returned to his face. _That's just such an odd reaction to Sesshomaru's presence._

"So, I guess the business with the snakes is over, then?" Inuyasha began, crossing his arms confidently.

"You guess correctly this time, Little Brother. The snakes are gone. We are here, today, for a different reason. May we sit?" Sesshomaru asked, permitting himself to be second-in-command for a short while, as he was in Inuyasha's village.

"Absolutely; make yourselves comfortable. Would either of you like any water?" Kagome offered, automatically switching to 'good hostess' mode. _If there's one thing Mom taught me._ She reflected.

"I'd love some, if you don't mind, Kagome." Rin replied.

"Not at all, Rin. Inuyasha?"

"None for me, Kagome." Inuyasha replied, sitting across from his older half-brother and placing the Tetsusaiga beside him. Kagome nodded and headed into an adjacent room to find two water bottles. They stayed silent until she returned; Inuyasha noticing the signs between his guests that all agreed with the scent he would've _sworn_ was eminating off of Rin. Pregnancy. _Go figure. Last time I see him, he's stuck in denial; _maybe_ two months later, she's pregnant with his first pup. An' here he always hated our old man for mating Mother and having me._

Kagome returned a few moments later, feigning obliviousness to the silence that had stretched, albiet not uncomfortably, in her abscence. She wasn't self-centered enough to think they were there to talk to her alone; more that Sesshomaru probably didn't want to have to repeat himself, or leave it up to his brother to accurately recant the story.

"Here's your water, Rin." She said, holding out an unopened bottle.

"Thanks."

"Ok, so, what's going on?" Kagome asked politely, taking her place beside Inuyasha and across from Rin. She, too, noticed a difference in their guests; she just couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"As you are my only family, and we are no longer attempting to slay one-another, I feel you deserve to know the latest development in my life." Sesshomaru began, pointedly ignoring the gleam in his brother's eyes. Though he knew, as he had known before he'd decided to come, that he'd have to endure his brother's teasing when this conversation was over, it was just one of those things that had to be done, no matter how much the person involved didn't want to do it. Gathering his formidable resolve, he began. "Rin and I..."

-----

"Congratulations! That's wonderful!" Kagome cheered, smiling happily. _I knew it! I'm glad they figured it out, too. She's perfect for him. She'll make an excellent mother. Huh, I guess that's what Inuyasha was smirking about earlier. _She thought, truly happy for her friend.

"Y'know, Sesshomaru, travelin' won't make raisin' a pup any easier. You'll have to stay home, in the old man's house; unless you've got your own." Inuyasha stated, knowing full-well that his brother had most likely already come to that conclusion.

"I'm impressed that you deduced that so quickly, Inuyasha."

"Hey, I may be younger, but I've got more experience than you when it comes to raisin' pups."

"That is only because you-"

"That's enough, boys!" Kagome interjected quickly, hoping to avoid an argument that, since Inuyasha was involved, would most likely get physical. Inuyasha grumbled something that she was pretty sure Sesshomaru could hear and she shot him a glare that shut him up instantly.

"We ran into Sango and Miroku on our way here; they look well." Rin commented.

"Yes, they're very happy. Sango's due in about two weeks; they were here for her check-up. I'm the closest thing this village has to a doctor, after all."

"Looks to me like you're doing well. You'll come visit from time to time, won't you?" Rin offered, secretly hoping she wasn't crossing a line. She considered Kagome her closest friend besides Ah-Un, who couldn't talk, and she wanted to see her again sometime soon.

"Well, that's not really up to me, but I'd love to. And since you won't be able to travel much longer, I guess it would be up to me."

Inuyasha cleared his throat and then, in true form, said, "_You_ won't be traveling too much, soon, either. Remember? It'll have to be after our pups are born."

It was silent for a moment, as the two without demonic senses registered that statement. Rin looked over at Kagome, wondering if she'd heard wrong. Kagome looked to Inuyasha. "'Pups'? Plural?"

"Twins, near as I can tell. So yeah, plural." It was obvious he was trying, to his credit, not to smirk. That, of course, doesn't mean he succeeded. Proud though he was, he wasn't positive _she_ would be thrilled. His answer came quickly enough, when she threw her arms around his neck and squealed happily.

"Twins! Are you sure?"

"It'll be a couple more weeks 'til I'll be positive, but, if I had to guess..."

"Well, I suppose it will be a little while before I can visit, Rin. Do you mind?" Kagome asked, pulling slightly away from Inuyasha.

Rin smiled and shook her head. "Not at all; I'm happy for you. Though I'm sure it won't be easy, you'll do just as well with them as you've done with Chikara so far. We'll have to keep in touch."

"Absolutely."

"It is time for us to be leaving, Rin. Until we meet again, Inuyasha."

"Likewise, Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha and Kagome walked their guests to the door way and watched them leave, each with small smiles on their faces. Once they were gone, Kagome turned to Inuyasha.

"I _told_ you it would work between them!"

"Keh. Typical; you find out you're pregnant again an' all you care about is _someone else's_ relationship. Crazy woman." He muttered that last part, thinking she wouldn't hear it.

"What was that, Honey? Am I not allowed to be happy for others? I see, please forgive me." She replied sarcastically.

"Knock it off, stupid. You know what I meant."

"Maybe I didn't."

"Keh, yeah right. You're just draggin' me along, waitin' to find a good reason to 'sit' me again. I ain't that stupid!"

"You're right, what _was_ I thinking, trying to bait you? Oh, now I remember; it's more fun that way!" She teased, moving to walk around him and down the hall. When she heard the door slide shut, she knew she was going to lose, but she tried anyway. Three feet later, he caught her around the waist and pulled her into the nearest room, which happened to be theirs, and shut the door.

-------

"That went pretty good, I thought." Rin commented when they'd exited the village.

"It could have been _worse_. No encounter with my brother will ever be _good_." Sesshomaru stated bluntly.

"Um, Sesshomaru, did I-should I not have invited them?" Sesshomaru stopped upon hearing her words and turned to face her. Gently cupping the side of her face in his palm, he took a moment to answer.

"You did nothing wrong. Kagome is a good friend of yours; I am aware of this. I don't mind that you've invited them; dealing with Inuyasha is not as...irritating as it used to be. Eventually, I imagine I will be able to consider an encounter with him as slightly higher than tolerable. Therefore, having them come to visit you will not bother me. You never need consider another's opinion in such a situation. If you have a friend, or family member, that you wish to invite to our home, then do so. You will know far ahead of time if I disapprove of them."

"Ok. Thank you, Sess." One of Sesshomaru's delicate eyebrows arched curiously at this shortened version of his name. She blushed profusely and mumbled, "Do you mind?"

"Not at all, Beloved." Was his only reply, before he leaned down and caught her lips with his for a brief kiss. She returned it equally.

They parted after a moment, and she placed her hand in his, a smile on her face. An instant later, they were flying peacefully above the tree-tops on his personal cloud. Half-way through the journey home, he released her hand and placed his arm loosely around her waist, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. As they neared their home, she subconsciously placed a hand upon her stomach, allowing a small smile to light up her face. This was where they would raise their family. This was, and hopefully always would be, home. Sesshomaru smiled a bit, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She was happy, and knowing that left him feeling oddly peaceful. It was a feeling he hoped to get used to. Tightening his arm slightly, he inhaled her scent and, suddenly, he couldn't wait to get home.

**The End**

A/N: It's DONE! Wooohhooo! Lol. So, did you like it? Did the ending stink? I really hope you enjoyed it; I was thrilled when I finally got to finish it. If you didn't like the way I ended it and you really want to tell me so, I'd appreciate it if you did that _without_ flaming me. Hopefully I have nothing to worry about flame-wise, but just in case. Anyway, thanks to all of you who stuck with me through all eight chapters! I hope no one was too disappointed in the ending (if you can't tell, I'm a tad insecure about my stories). Ok, well, I'm done now. Bye! Oh, and Merry Christmas!


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